Blantyre District Health Office (DHO) says it has traced 16 out of 441 returnees from South Africa who escaped from Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre last month before receiving their coronavirus test results.

Blantyre DHO spokesperson Chrissy Banda said 11 out of the 16 tested positive for coronavirus (Covid-19).

She said all are from Blantyre.

She said the DHO has put the 11 on self-quarantine to ensure they are following necessary precautionary measures.

Last month, government started facilitating the repatriation of Malawians from South Africa and Zimbabwe following stiff lockdowns in the wake of the pandemic in the two countries.