ZAMBIA Situation Report Last updated: 6 Jul 2020 HIGHLIGHTS (6 Jul 2020) A total of 1,632 COVID-19 cases were confirmed as of 1 July, with 35 out of the country’s 119 districts reporting COVID-19 cases. COVID-19 deaths have tripled in the past weeks from 10 deaths reported on 8 June to 30 on 1 July. Poor compliance to recommended prevention measures, including use of masks, hand hygiene and physical distancing, as well as limited laboratory testing, remain key challenges. On 27 June, the President of Zambia announced the re-opening of all international airports in Zambia. A health worker attaching the MOH posters at Mtendere Market at Lusaka City Council. Photo: WaterAids KEY FIGURES FUNDING CONTACTS Laura Hastings 10.1M 6.2M $132.9M $12M Humanitarian Affairs Officer, Zambia people in need people targeted requested (May-Oct received [email protected] 2020) Guiomar Pau Sole 27 Communications & Information partners operational 9% Management, Regional Office for funded Southern & Eastern Africa [email protected] INTERACTIVE (22 Jun 2020) Emergency Appeal Financial Tracking https://reports.unocha.org/en/country/zambia/ Page 1 of 10 Downloaded: 6 Jul 2020 ZAMBIA Situation Report Last updated: 6 Jul 2020 View this interactive graphic: https://bit.ly/ZambiaAppeal2020Funding BACKGROUND (6 Jul 2020) Situation Overview Zambia recorded the first case of COVID-19 on 18 March 2020 and, as 1 July, 1,632 cases had been confirmed and 30 deaths reported. Out of the country's 119 districts, 35 districts have reported COVID-19 cases. Immediately after the first confirmed case, the Government of Zambia introduced measures to mitigate against the spread of the virus including closure of regional airports, restrictions of public gatherings of more than 50 people, closures of religious institutions, bars and restaurants. COVID-19 cases by district On 14 April, the Government introduced a three-day lockdown in Kafue to facilitate contact tracing and undertake community testing to stop the spread of the virus. On 10 May, Nakonde district bordering Tanzania became a hotspot with 642 confirmed cases. The case transmission was attributed to the border post where immigration officials, truck drivers, sex workers and health workers were the first confirmed cases. A 10-day lockdown was introduced to prevent the spread from 12 to 22 May. The UN deployed a multisectoral response team to support the Ministry of Health (MOH)/ Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI) response to the outbreak. The multisectoral response team focused on supporting health worker case management, IPC training of immigration official, provision of WASH in key designated points, risk communication and community engagement and ascertaining the protection issues and referral systems in place. On 29 June, the MOH requested a clinical team r to support the district health official in Ndola where an increase in caseload was reported. On 26 May, the Government withdrew some of the initial restriction measures and recommended the opening of schools for student examination years and of restaurants and gyms subject to adherence to public health measures and social distancing. The wearing of masks in public places became mandatory and all retail business are required to have handwashing/sanitizers amenities at entrance of their businesses. Further, on 25 June, the President announced that all https://reports.unocha.org/en/country/zambia/ Page 2 of 10 Downloaded: 6 Jul 2020 ZAMBIA Situation Report Last updated: 6 Jul 2020 international airports have re-opened and a booster package for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) was declared as a means of regenerating the economy and acceptance of having to co-exist with COVID-19 as a new normal way of working and living. Partners are concerned that with the lifting of restrictions there is a noted relaxation of people’s adherence to wearing masks and practicing social distancing. CLUSTER STATUS (6 Jul 2020) Education 12,828 555K soap distributed in Sioma District schools pupils targeted Needs The nationwide re-opening of examination classes has increased demand for provision of guidelines, hygiene and sanitation supplies and face masks for school children and teachers. There is need to conduct a nationwide assessment of school readiness for re-opening of schools for non-exam classes and identify challenges to inform interventions at school level. The continued closure of non-examination classes continues to disrupt learning for over 3 million children and adolescents, and the provision of critical services, including school feeding programs for disadvantaged children. Continuity of learning is a challenge to many vulnerable children who cannot access TV, radio and on-line learning and other platforms that have been established by the Ministry of General Education (MoEG). Teachers still face unprecedented challenges of ensuring the continuity of learning for their pupils while caring for their own and their families’ safety. Prolonged school closure for non-examination classes still puts children especially girls, at increased risk of teenage pregnancy, sexual abuse, child marriage and other harmful practices. Many schools in rural areas are under-resourced and ill-equipped to provide support to the students learning from home. Some parents are unable to support their children’s learning, widening the equity gap between the well-off and worse-off in learning, potentially leading to life-long negative impact. Priority to be given to children with special educational needs so that they can benefit from the different established learning platforms. Response Partners in collaboration with the Ministry of General Education (MoGE) are conducting a nation-wide school readiness assessment which will guide decision making for re-opening of non-examination classes. In collaboration with sector partners, the MoGE has started airing TV and radio learning contents for Grade 1 to 12 on different TV and radio stations. Partners distributed a total of 12,828 bars of soap, 33 handwashing buckets, 1027 toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes as part of the hygiene kits for 11 schools in Sioma District. https://reports.unocha.org/en/country/zambia/ Page 3 of 10 Downloaded: 6 Jul 2020 ZAMBIA Situation Report Last updated: 6 Jul 2020 Sector partners supported the production and airing of child friendly radio messages in local languages on COVID-19 on the national radio station, Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation and is finalizing the airing of these messages to four community radio stations in Western, Southern, Copper Belt and Eastern provinces. Education sector partners have continued to support the printing of easy to read self-study literacy materials for children in non-examination classes to improve their reading skills. Gaps Inadequate resources such as learning materials and technical expertise for viable distance and alternative education during COVID-19. Lack of adaptive distance learning materials for primary level in local languages. Inadequate communication infrastructure and electricity coverage in rural locations to support distance learning. Difficulty in remotely monitoring children’s learning progress by teachers, schools and caregivers. Lack of disaggregated data on children and schools per area, age and type of interventions. Lack of information on children accessing education through different modalities (TV, radio, e-learning, self-study materials). CLUSTER STATUS (6 Jul 2020) Health 400K 5M received COVID-19 sensitization in Lusaka people targeted Needs The country continues to experience community transmission with the cumulative number of confirmed cases on 1 July standing at 1,632 confirmed cases, including 30 deaths. Approximately 9 per cent of COVID-19 cases are children below 14 years including young infants, who need special arrangements at isolation centres and hospitals for case management services maintaining strict compliance of isolation from their parents. The sector needs to develop guidelines and SOPs to manage children with COVID-19 with special arrangements (e.g. children’s COVID-19 ward) at hospitals including coordinating with the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services (MCDSS) on psychosocial support to the parents and children while they are separated from each other. Transboundary spread of the virus is still playing an important role as in-coming travellers account for half of confirmed cases. Districts with Points of Entry (POE) continue reporting the greatest number of cases cumulatively. There is need for increased support and monitoring on POEs. The national laboratory testing capacity is low and declining due to inadequate lab supplies. This is affecting capacity to identify cases and accurately track the outbreak. https://reports.unocha.org/en/country/zambia/ Page 4 of 10 Downloaded: 6 Jul 2020 ZAMBIA Situation Report Last updated: 6 Jul 2020 Diversion of resources (time, human, finances) is affecting routine service delivery for essential services such as immunization and reproductive health. Response Partners trained 150 health workers on case management in Copperbelt, Central and Northern Provinces. The sector supported the development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and guidelines for the various COVID-19 response strategies including surveillance and contact tracing, alert management, processes at PoEs, laboratory sample collection and management processes, IPC guidelines, criteria for de-escalation of IPC measures on discharge, community case management and algorithm for clinical case management. This is