Zambia recorded 208 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours as the southern African nation starts seeing a surge in the pandemic, health authorities said Saturday.

The cases were recorded from 2,231 tests done, representing daily positivity of 9 percent.

Minister of Health Sylvia Masebo said Friday the country had been seeing a rising trend in COVID-19 cases since May 16, with 1,504 cases compared to only 195 cases recorded in the preceding three weeks.

“This clearly shows an incidence of cases. Our test positivity rate over the last two weeks has averaged at 5 percent, further highlighting this increase,” she said in a ministerial statement in parliament on the COVID-19 situation in the country.