Government has raised fears of a possible surge in COVID-19 due to non-adherence to preventive measures by many people during the festive season.

A statement released by the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 has expressed concern and that death of two more people have succumbed to COVID-19 in the past 24 hours raising the death toll to 191.

“Sadly, today as we start the New Year, we have lost two more people to COVID-19 resulting in the number of people that have died to surpass the 190 mark and our number of cases continue to rise with another record of more than 100 new cases,” said in a statement Dr John Phuka, Co-Chairperson of the Presidential Taskforce.

According to the Taskforce, many people might have been exposed to the virus during the holiday while attending to the festivities.

“As such, the institutions might act as transmission amplifiers if preventive measures will not be adhered to,” said Dr Phuka.

Ever since the outbreak of the virus, Malawi has registered a total number of 6684 confirmed cases and a total of 604 active cases.

Government has since advised people in the country to take the COVID-19 preventive measures seriously as they are planning to go back to their routine social economic activities.

The two new deaths are both male from Lilongwe districts.