Former President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika has blamed politicians over a sharp rise in Coronavirus cases in the country.

Mutharika who is also President of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said this in a statement posted on his official facebook page.

“From the word go, my administration urged all of you to take the fight against Covid-19 seriously.

“Corona Virus is real and it was very unfortunate that at a time that we would have best fought the pandemic as a nation, some Malawians politicized the efforts to the extent of saying Corona Virus never existed in the country,” wrote Mutharika.

He added: “Today, the numbers of confirmed cases continue to rise and the death toll is sky-rocketing each passing day.

“As we wait for the Government to address the situation with utmost urgency and seriousness, I want to urge you to continue washing hands with soap frequently, observe social distancing, wear face masks, use recommended sanitizers, go for tests and follow other measures as advised by our health personnel.”

Malawi has so far recorded over 2000 Coronavirus with over 50 deaths.