Five new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the country over the past 24 hours and now the number of registered cases is 443.

Co-Chairperson of the Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19, Dr. John Phuka said in a statement that two of the new cases were among returning residents from Pakistan who arrived through Kamuzu International Airport on a Chartered plane on 7th May.

One of the patients is from Area 2, Lilongwe while the other one is from Mpingwe in Blantyre.

“The other new case is from Nsanje and arrived in the country from South Africa on 26 May 2020 through Mwanza border. The fourth case is from Naperi, Blantyre and is contact of a confirmed case. The fifth case is from Dedza that has a travel history to South Africa,” said Phuka.

Malawi has so far conducted 6546 COVID-19 tests in 20 laboratories across the country.

Meanwhile, Phuka has urged people who know that they are contacts of confirmed cases to inform health authorities by calling 54747 or 929.

“We need to trace all the contacts of those confirmed positive in order to contain the spread of the disease,” he said.