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Zambia reopens border with Tanzania after Covid-19 closure

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Nearly 2.3m Zambian's at risk of food shortages, Red Cross warns

Zambian President Edgar Lungu has announced the reopening of the country’s Nakonde border with Tanzania on Friday after a five-day closure to combat the spread of Covid-19.

The border which has been a major transit point for copper, cobalt and fuel trade was closed to traffic on Sunday after the district recorded its highest single day increase of 76 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday.

According to the country’s health Minister, Chitalu Chilufya, the border closure allowed cleaning, disinfection, and COVID-19 testing to be conducted in Nakonde.

Read also: CORONAVIRUS: 4.4 million infections worldwide as Wuhan reports 11 fresh cases

Zambia has been placed under a partial lockdown since Friday, March 20 but the president has assured unwinding of confinement measures to take place soon.

Zambia’s case stats currently stands at 654 confirmed cases and 7 deaths. Tanzania on the other hand has 509 cases, and 21 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University tally.

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