Eswatini has highest COVID- 19 mortality rate in SADC

MBABANE – Eswatini is one of the countries with the highest COVID- 19 mortality rate in the Southern African Development Community ( SADC).

Eswatini currently has 3.4 per cent mortal i t y r a t i o, t he hi ghest i n t he Southern African region with South Africa at 2.9 per cent.

This is informed by the COVID- 19 Tracker, a page that is fed with the latest COVID- 19 updates by country on a daily basis.

Mortality r ate, or death r ate, i s a measure of the number of deaths in a p a r t i c u l a r p o p u l a t i o n , s c a l e d t o the size of that population, per unit of time.

As o f F r i d a y, Es wat i n i h a d 7 4 2 deaths and 22 156 confirmed cases. There were 1 844 active cases and 19 570 recoveries.

Zimbabwe has the second highest mortality rate in the Southern region standing at 3.1 per cent while Malawi has 3 per cent.

PROJECTIONS

Zambia, whose mortality rate is second lowest after Botswana, is doing well as projections show t hat t hey have the highest recovery rate in the Southern region standing at 93.5 per cent. Both countries have 1.7 and 1.4 per cent mortality rate respectively.

On COVID- 19 restrictions, Zambia made it a policy that all commercial flights are operating, and international air and land borders are open. Travelers must provide a negative PCR COVID- 19 test taken no more than 72 hours before arrival.

From J une 16, t r avelers ar r i vi ng from countries deemed high- risk must take a COVID- 19 test and self- isolate for 14 days upon arrival. Travelers may b e r e q u i r e d t o q u a r a n t i n e i n a government- approved f acil i t y i f the place of residence is considered unsafe.

RESTRICTIONS

Domestic measures include that all residents must wear protective face coverings in public areas. Officials have lifted restrictions on movements in border districts. Businesses, such as bars, restaurants, and casinos, remain open with adherence to health guidelines.

Pl a c e s o f worshi p a r e r e s t r i c t e d t o t wo meetings l ast one hour per week. Only 50 people are permitted to attend funerals and weddings. All other meetings, i ncluding political gatherings, are suspended until further notice.

MORTALIT Y

World Health Organisation ( WHO) Health Promotion Officer in Eswatini Dr Kevin Makadzange s a i d a l l countries in the SADC were actually having a surge in the COVID- 19 daily cases and mortality rate.

He s a i d t h a t i t was n o t b e c a u s e the countries were doing something wrong but i t was t he i mpact of t he third wave that has been declared in almost all the countries.

He said as much as t he mortality rate was high in Eswatini currently; it was not as bad as the second wave wh i c h c l a i me d mor e l i v e s i n t h e country.

He s a i d t h a t Es wat i n i h a d d o n e well in mitigating the situation that contributed to the high mortality rate in the second wave, which was the inadequate number of hospital beds and lack of oxygen.

EVOLVING

“With COVID- 19, one can never be prepared enough because it is evolving every time and new variants are born. However, the trick is to do as much as one can to mitigate the situ