Health minister warns Zambian businesses defying presidential directive on COVID-19

Lusaka, Zambia (PANA) – Zambia's Health minister Chitalu Chilufya has warned that businesses disobeying the Presidential directive to close down in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic will not only be shut down but will have their licences revoked.

"Zambia will not risk introducing new people with cases. Truckers will be quarantined at ports of entry to curb the spread of Covid-19," minister stated.

"Let us enhance hand washing. This is the only way that we will address the person to person cases."

Meanwhile,  Zambia’s Secretary to Cabinet, Simon Miti, has directed government heads of department to only allow essential staff to remain on duty throughout the Coronavirus pandemic period.

Miti said that non-essential staff should report for work on rotational basis or work remotely or from home.

"Non-critical activities such as meetings, seminars, conferences and other non-essential events should be suspended during the period of the Coronavirus pandemic. These measures are for the initial period of 14 days starting 30 March 2020," Miti said on Monday.

The same day, Health minister Chitalu Chilufya announced that Zambia has recorded six new cases of Covid-19, bringing the total to 35.

He said that the ministry managed to run 51 tests on contacts of the group that had travelled to Pakistan and that one remained in a critical condition.

 Chilufya explained that the new cases involved four who were directly linked to the group, adding that the six include a couple that is friends with one of the people who had travelled from Pakistan and also a domestic worker.

Others include a congregant, who came in contact with one of the infected people at a place of worship.

The health minister further explained that the other case is a person who had travelled to India and returned on the same flight with the group that had travelled to Pakistan.

Chilufya noted that the number of COVID-19 positive cases which are as a result of local transmission is nine.

-0- PANA MM/AR 30March2020