21 April 2020 | 20:24 - Updated on 21 April 2020 | 9:00 pm

Luanda - A total of 1,500 swabs, samples collection materials, were distributed this Tuesday in the provinces of Huambo, Benguela, Zaire, Cabinda and Cunene, for the start of random tests of Covid-19 in the communities.

According to the Secretary of State for Public Health, Franco Mufinda, who spoke at the usual press conference to update data on the new coronavirus in the country, each province will benefit from 300 swabs to facilitate the conduct of random testing and the epidemiological study of each region.

The start of the random test, in the coming days, will be essential to assess the number of people affected by the Acute Respiratory Syndrome disease or by Covid-19, mainly during the cacimbo season.

Franco Mufinda explained that the method to be used for random analyzes will be based on molecular biology, discarding the possibility of rapid tests.

Since the beginning of testing in Angola (last March), the national molecular biology laboratory has processed 1,572 samples, of which 24 were positive.

In this context, 77 samples are still in laboratory processing.

As for institutional quarantine, 727 citizens are in confinement across the country, two of whom were discharged in the last 24 hours.

According to the Secretary of State, there are still 388 suspected people from Covid-19 and 696 citizens who have had direct or occasional contacts with 24 positive cases that the country has recorded.

To date, the country has recorded 24 imported positive cases, of which six have been recovered, 16 are active and two are dead.

For the prevention and combat of Covid-19, Angola has observed, since 00:00 on April 11, a new period of State of Emergency, which should remain in effect until 23:59 on April 25.