Manzini Region has highest cases

MBABANE – The Manzini Region has the highest number of confirmed COVID19 cases.

The region has 8 473 COVID- 19 cases, followed byHh oh ho with 8265 and Lubombo, with 2 556.

The region with the least number of cases is Shiselweni with 1 949 since the virus was detected in the country in March last year.

This is according to statistics from the Ministry of Health daily COVID- 19 update dated July 19.

When asked of the exact location and the factors that caused areas to be hot spots for the virus, Minister of Health Lizzie Nkosi said at this time, the ministry observed community transmissions.

“It is difficult to identify hot spots. Manzini Region has the highest number of cases though probably due to the dense population,” Nkosi said. She highlighted t hat both rural and urban areas were equally affected. Meanwhile, t his publication r eported last year that sex work, illegal drinking spots and giving inaccurate information to health officials was believed to have contributed immensely to Mvutjini being l abelled as a hot spot f or COVID- 19. The Ministry of Health had declared that Mvutjini was the second highest hot spot after Nkoyoyo in the Hhohho Region in August last year.

It was further gathered that the high number of COVID- 19 positive cases around the area was due to people giving misleading and inaccurate information to health officials regarding their places of residence.