The new cases, 12 female and the rest male, aged between 2 and 59 years, resulted from the screenings being made in the "sentinel centres" to contacts with positive cases, passengers and various clusters, the minister said at a press conference in Luanda.
As for the death, this is a 41-year-old man, a critical patient who had already been hospitalized for several days in a treatment centre.
Angola already has 458 positive cases of the disease, of which 23 died, 117 recovered and 319 were active.
The minister said that mass random testing has been reinforced in recent days, "looking at high-risk conglomerates" such as the markets.
In this context, 2875 people have already been tested, of which 1500 in the Kikolo market, and 1000 in the "30" market, in the province of Luanda, and 375 in the province of Kwanza Norte.
In Kikolo, 87 reactive samples have been detected, of which 16 IgM (with the presence of antibodies indicating an active phase of the disease and 71 IgG (indicating that the person has had contact with the virus but may be immunised).
In the "30", 26 samples were reactive, including three IgM.
In Kwanza Norte, 14 reactive samples (12 IgG and 2 IgM) were recorded.
These serological tests serve to screen and detect antibodies related to covid-19, allowing to evaluate the immunity of the population and to screen positive cases, said Silvia Lutucuta.
People who have revealed IgM "are being taken to isolation" and all reactive cases will be tested by another method for molecular biology results (test known as RT-PCR).
In addition to the markets, testing has also been started at the National Police, "which interacts very frequently with citizens", indicated the Health portfolio holder.
Mass testing continues this Friday at the Kifangondo Martyrs, said Silvia Lutucuta.
The minister also said that "there have been reactive tests in Huila province" which are being proved by another method.
Due to the mandatory testing for people leaving Luanda province or Cazengo (Kwanza Norte province), as part of the health fence that remains in these places until August 9, "there were constraints," said Lutucuta, stressing that there will be a capacity building in the main exits from Luanda from Friday.
"We will make an average of 200 tests per day," he estimated.
Asked if Angola already has community transmission of the disease, the minister admitted: "We are not far away.
"There is no better way than to go to the community, so we are doing large-scale testing to make substantial samples to accept community circulation, we are not far away and we have to be prepared," she stressed, calling on the population to heed the measures to reduce the impact of the disease.
Nevertheless, Silvia Lutucuta considered that the numbers that have been detected in the markets are lower than expected.
"The expectation was to find 10 per cent, but we are finding much lower figures, a percentage lower than 0.8 per cent. We're still in this scenario," he said.
