Chairperson of the Coronavirus Taskforce John Phuka has told Malawians to avoid using unproven drugs as self-medication for COVID-19.

In a statement on Tuesday, Phuka said using unproven drugs could lead to more health problems.

“Let me inform the public to desist from using unproven drugs as self-medication for COVID-19. Whether as a treatment or as prophylaxis as this could lead to serious side effects and in the long run this could lead to drug resistance,” he said.

Meanwhile, Malawi has recorded 29 new COVID-19 cases, 61 new recoveries, and no new deaths.

Phuka said that 21 of the new cases are locally transmitted infections and eight are imported infections.

Out of the locally transmitted infections, three are health care workers (one each from Karonga, Lilongwe and Nkhata Bay), 11 are from Blantyre, four from Lilongwe, two from Chitipa, and one from Mzimba North.

The imported cases were identified at Mwanza border. Four are from Blantyre and one each from Lilongwe, Mwanza, Neno and Nkhata Bay.

Cumulatively, Malawi has recorded 3,738 cases including 103 deaths. Of these cases, 962 are imported infections and 2,784 are locally transmitted.

Cumulatively, 1,728 cases have now recovered bringing the total number of active cases to 1,907.

The country has so far conducted 27,514 COVID-19 tests in 39 COVID-19 testing sites.