Coronavirus: New Global Test Will Give Results ‘In Minutes’

 A test that can accurately diagnose coronavirus in minutes will dramatically expand testing in low and middle-income countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.

The $5 (£3.80) test could transform tracking of Covid-19 in less wealthy countries, which have shortages of healthcare workers and laboratories

A deal with manufacturers will provide 120 million tests over six months.

The WHO’s head called it a major milestone.

Lengthy gaps between taking a test and receiving a result have hampered many countries’ attempts to control the spread of coronavirus.

In some countries with high infection rates, including India and Mexico, experts have said that low testing rates are disguising the true spread of their outbreaks.

The “new, highly portable and easy-to-use test” will provide results in 15-30 minutes instead of hours or days, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference on Monday.

Drugs manufacturers Abbott and SD Biosensor have agreed with the charitable Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to produce 120 million of the tests, Dr Tedros explained.

The deal covers 133 countries, including many in Latin America which is currently the region hardest-hit by the pandemic in terms of fatality and infection rate.

“This is a vital addition to their testing capacity and especially important in areas of high transmission,” Dr Tedros added.

“This will enable the expansion of testing, particularly in hard-to-reach areas that do not have laboratory facilities or enough trained health workers to carry out tests,” he said

Govt announces plans to set up Integrated Center to assist children

 Angolan Government announced on Monday the creation of the Integrated Center to provide Assistance to Children and Adolescents (CIACA).

CIACA was created as an integrated multisectoral service, which will allow for articulation between the different ministerial departments that intervene in the administration of juvenile justice.

According to the statement from the 7th Meeting of the Commission for Social Policy of the Cabinet Council, the creation of the center is part of public policies and the Executive  challenge of judicial protection of the rights of the child in contact with the justice system.

It recommends to conduct further study on the matter, with the involvement of all sectors.
 

In the health field, the members of the Commission approached the regulation on the licensing of crematory establishments, aimed to introduce, in the Angolan legal system, specific rules on the exercise of crematory activity.

According to the document, the commission also recommended the ministerial departments taking into account the cultural issues surrounding this situation.

The sector recommended are those of  the ministries of Social Action, Family and Promotion of Women and Culture, Tourism and Environment, in order to have their say on the issue.

During the meeting, chaired by Minister of State for Social Affairs, Carolina Cerqueira, the members of the commission appreciated, in the field of education and teaching, the situation of returning to school in primary, secondary and higher education.

The government recognises that, in the context of the pandemic, the closure of schools promotes a decline in the learning capacity of students, with psychomotor and affective consequences.

In this regard, the meeting recommended that the ministries of Education and Higher Education, Science and Technology and Innovation should work together with the ministries of Health, Territorial Administration, Telecommunications, Information and Social Communication Technologies, Interior and Youth and Sports, civil society, churches, traditional authorities and other social partners of the State, on mobilisation and awareness of students and their families to ensure that there is a massive and peaceful return to classes.

The Angolan Government wants increase in school weeks

 The Council of Ministers' Commission for Social Policy on Monday in Luanda called for the adoption of a school and academic timetable that would make it possible to have a greater number of school weeks.

STATE MINISTER FOR SOCIAL AREA, CAROLINA CERQUEIRA, CHAIRS OVER THE 7 ORDINARY MEETING FOR SOCIAL POLICY OF THE CABINET COUNCIL

Covid-19: Luanda reports 161 deaths

 At least 161, of the 174 deaths by Covid-19 registered in Angola, are recorded in the province of Luanda (epicenter of the disease), representing 92 percent of the total deaths in the country.

The province of Benguela comes second with three deaths, Bengo (2), Cuando Cubango (2) and Huambo (2), according to the Secretary of State for Public Health, Franco Mufinda.

Updating the national epidemiological picture of the last 24 hours, the official explained that the mortality rate for Covid-19 in Angola fell to 3.6 percent, compared to the end of the week, which stood at 3.8 percent.

Meanwhile, the province of Cuando Cubango ends up having 100% of the lethality rate, registering two deaths from the first two positive cases.

Contrary to Cuando Cubango, the provinces of Uíge, Malanje and Lunda Norte managed to recover the first cases they registered in their regions, having a zero lethality rate.

Regarding recovery, Luanda also continues to have a higher number, registering a total of 1,564 recovered (91%).
 

 Zaire, which recovered 69 out of a total of 116 cases in that province, Huambo with 24 recoveries from 50 infected, Cuanza Norte with 24 out of 26 cases and Benguela with 10 out of 62 patients.
 

As for the number of infected, Luanda has 4,312 positive cases of Covid-19, which represents 91 percent of the total number of patients in Angola (4,718).

The second position is occupied by the province of Zaire, with 116 infected, Cabinda registers 103 cases, Benguela 62 infected, Huambo 50 and Cuanza Norte total 26 patients.

With the diagnosis of 46 newly infected, 68 recoveries and three deaths, in the last 24 hours, Angola has a total of 4, 718 contaminations, of which 2, 837 were active, 1, 707 recovered and 174 deaths.

Covid-19: Angola reports 79 new infections, 106 recoveries

Seventy-nine new positive cases of covid-19 have been reported in the last 24 hours in Angola, the Health authorities announced.

Delivering the usual covid-19 update Monday evening in Luanda, the secretary of State for Public Health said 106 patients have been recovered in the same 24 hours period.

Franco Mufinda on the occasion said the new positive cases of covid-19 are people with ages between five and 71 years, 54 males and 25 females.

According to the official, the positive cases and deaths were detected in the capital, Luanda, involving male nationals of ages ranging from 59 to 70 years.

Those recovered are patients in Luanda with 49, one in Benguela (centre), two in Cuanza Sul (centre) and nine in northern Zaire province.

With the new data, Angola’s covid-19 statistics show 4,797 positive cases, 176 deaths, 1,813 recoveries and 2,808 active patients.

CPLP countries address fight against covid-19

 The interaction and exchange of experience on the impact and fight against the coronavirus pandemic topped Monday , by videoconference, the meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), on the sidelines of the 75th Ordinary Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

ANGOLAN FOREIGN MINISTER, TÉTE ANTÓNIO, ATTENDS CPLP COUNCIL OF MINISTERS