PRIME MINISTER Dr Moeketsi Majoro says although there are still high numbers of COVID-19 related deaths recorded, it is however, worth noting that the availability of oxygen in local health facilities has resulted in a significant recovery rate among patients.

He was addressing the nation on the shift from red to orange level on Tuesday night on national television.

Dr Majoro said Lesotho has managed to procure enough oxygen supplies adding that there will no longer be any oxygen shortages going forward.

Last week Friday, a South African-based oxygen supplier, Afrox delivered 150 cylinders containing 8 600 litres of medical oxygen to the Lesotho government.

The goal was to dispatch to hospitals that might be in dire need to run over the weekend, and to replenish other hospitals for general upkeep.

This is in addition due to the fact that the number of cases and rate of demands for health facilities management of severe sick cases is still high and continues to put pressure on the country’s limited health resources.

“The government has therefore concluded to put the country under a relaxed lockdown to adjusted Orange stage mitigation measures,” the Prime Minister also said.

With the prevailing situation of Covid-19 infections in the country, consideration was given to level of infections, health system capacity, and incidence of deaths.

The spread and severity of risk of the coronavirus is now at the Community Transmission level of the Risk Determination Framework throughout the country though at decreasing rate.

Dr Majoro said the weekly positivity rate declined from 47 – 36 percent during the January 3 - 9 week.