Zambia Police Inspector-General Kakoma Kanganja has directed officers in Charge of Police Stations and Posts working in collaboration with the Local Authorities to devise measures of ensuring that all Bars, night clubs, Cinemas, Gyms and Casinos are as directed by republican President Edgar Lungu to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
In a statement released to the media, the Police Chief said that all Provincial Police Commissioners should ensure that they enforce this directive which will be in effect Thursday mid night, and that the directive is strictly adhered to without fail.
Mr Kanganja further said that Police Officers are all expected to intensify both foot and motorised patrols and ensure that regulations under the Statutory Instrument number 22 restricting public mass gatherings are enforced.
Mr Kanganja appealed to members of the public and the business community to cooperate with all relevant authorities who are working round the clock in an effort to avert the Corona Virus Pandemic and warned that all those that would want to deliberately ignore the directives or provisions of Law that they risk being arrested and charged accordingly.
Yesterday, President Lungu has announced a number of measures aimed at curbing the spread of the virus which include reviewing of the issuance of VISA by the Immigration Department and Missions Abroad for people wanting to to travel to Zambia as well as to all ports of entry into the country for all travellers coming from countries affected by the pandemic.
He announced that travellers will be allowed into the country however upon screening those exhibit symptoms will be quarantined in a medical facility for treatment while all those travellers without symptoms will be quanta for 14 days at their own cost.
President Lungu further announced that government has suspended non essential foreign travel particularly to countries which have confirmed COVID-19 cases while Public Gatherings such as weddings, funerals and festivals are to be restricted to at least 50 people subject to them complying with public health Authority guidelines.
He said restaurants must operate only on a take away basis while all bars, Night Clubs, cinemas, gyms and casinos must close.
President Lungu said all international flights to and from Harry Mwanga Nkumbula, Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe and Mfuwe International Airports are suspended instead.
He said all international flights are to land and depart from the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport to ensure efficient and effective screening of travellers as well as following them up beyond health authorities.
President Lungu said all the announced measures shall be effected from midnight Thursday 26th March 2020 and shall be observed for the initial period of 14 days.
He said the government shall constantly review the measures depending on how the pandemic evolves.
Breaking news!!! President Lunch test position to CONVID-19. Lets pray for him..
President Lungu …..
Here we go again with ZP brutality, which will follow with “people with coronavirus are turning into cats”.
Anyone coughing will be killed by PF mobs.
Good move on the part of curbing the spread of the virus. Howbeit, what plans are there to help those who are already affected by the biting economy, now whose businesses are closed??
Good move
Why don’t bars do take-aways like their restaurant partners? Any special arrangements for people staying in hotels and lodges? We’ve to avoid encouraging return of Shebeens who don’t pay any taxes.
No mention of brothels and massage parlours scattered across the country
This is a very serious announcement. We hope all well meaning Zambians shall abide . Failure to which you will face severe consequences. Spreading this virus deliberately is equivalent to murder. So think about that. As for me I don’t care which you are. If I see you not complying I will report you. Even if it’s his excellency, I will report him. Kz
Copy and paste without holistic regard for the local scenario. Even Kenya, a country not too different from us has put in place measures to help businesses cushion the impact of forced business closures.. For us it’s ndwii…ndwii. A few days from now you will hear the minister of labour directing that all employers, regarding the status of their businesses should pay employers because the PF isa pro poor and caring government. Watch this space
KZ
Why was PF gassing our citizens ?
Can you remind lungu that we are not forgetting the gassing of our people by PF and the mass murder that followed
Brace for the economic impact…
KZ,U LIKE BOASTING MANINGI.
Spaka I have answered your silly question a hundred times. Are you suffering from dementia
We did need an address from the head of state, and i do say he doesnt look well, do get better soon Mr. President. Either he was unwell or nursing a hangover, it remains that its good he spoke up.
About the closure of bars, cinemas, gyms and other such, do we have any measures put in place tohelp the businesses or the employees? Most countries have offered to pay rent for most businesses, despite not ordering them to close. And those businesses that have closed are duly compensated by the government, you cannot simply order the closure of a business and leave it at that.
We should not create more unemployment.
You have failed to win elections through the vote and now you are hoping that the president is not well. Why wish someone well when they have not told you that they are not well ? Elections are won through the ballot not by wishing some one ill health and trying to use the backdoor to rule this country. You will continue losing because come 2021 lungu will still be here to teach you cows another lesson
LOL, if the President is well and healthy, then we should worry, if he is ill we sincerely wish him a quick recovery. You ought only to say he is okay or that we thank you for your concern. Do not be quick to think everything is about UPND or elections. You have your own personal issues to sort out my good sir.
Looks like the only thing that PF thinks about is elections, not anything to do with running a successful country.
These are amazing guidelines, but as usual, there are some UPND psychos antagonizing their PF psychos above. Let Zambians devise plans to curb this disease until a cure or antidote is made. This is a time we as Zambians can end alcoholism. May God bless Zambia, Africa, myself and all. His sun shines on the good and the bad. In Jesus’s name Amen.
Insider how do you know that those locations are brothels? Could you elaborate so that we investigate? Zicta will also need to liaise with you.
KZ, arent you and your humble leader considering a commission of Inquiry on COVID-19?
I still believe we need a lockdown and not anything partial, I wanted to go for an haircut, but my mind just said NO, how will the barber keep that 1 metre distance when cutting my hair? how many heads has he attended to before me? for proper haircut I will need to spend a number of minutes with the barber, there no takeaways in barbershops for haircuts.
The other thing is where has all that super speed organizing skills we see during campaigns, where the country people are literally dressed, fed and financed by politicians during campaigns, why are politicians not distributing face masks,gloves , sanitizers etc with their faces on? what has happened to Tusaka twandalama?
Pwii we are considering a commission of inquiry into how HH can be so childish and silly as to wear a mask during his silly press conference when other frontline officers need them more.
LOL, Kz, please keep quiet sometimes! Please! Are you arguing that the government doesn’t have masks and that HH should have given that one mask to medical officers?
Ba mudala, just talk about issues, leave HH alone. You are making some of us wonder what the big deal is with the man.
Remember, there is no such thing as bad publicity in politics. Imagine if you kept talking about Nawakwi or Sinkamba, you will just be making them popular!
It’s good that measures are being put in place, though some are still half-baked, like the 50 people gathering (too high) and the fact people from
anywhere can still land at KK airport. Govt. needs to go further and make things clearer? Where are all these quarantine places and are they enough?
What kind of social net and help will be available for the most vulnerable and those who cannot continue to trade? Close the businesses, yes, but do
provide an outlet (even if not whole, to an extent) otherwise there will be another set of problems to do with people getting impatient and desperate
to make ends meet. What’s in the contingency plan? Might it mean more borrowing or quantitative easing?
I suppose all the money that was borrowed and then most of which was squandered, would…
…. have gone a long way in this.
Spiderly are you a upnd supporter? Come out clean so that we know and can understand why you post biased posts.
I agree a hundred percent.And police should be issued with firearms to enforce this directive.Peter Carlos Hinds.
I was in the cadets of the military.And it is the death penalty to disobey a military command.Peter Carlos Hinds.
KZ please go n sleep n turn off you phone so you’re not tempted to start posting comments on LT. Kasendame