The government has announced that all issuance of permits by local authorities for any social gathering has been suspended in addition to measures announced by Secretary to Cabinet recently.
Speaking during the routine COVID-19 update today, Ministry of Local Government Permanent Secretary Matthew Ngulube said this has come into effect with immediate and that permits that have already been issued are nullified to be reviewed after 21 days.
Among the gatherings whose permits have been suspended are weddings, chilanga mulilos, matebetos, birthday parties, conferences, workshops among other gatherings. With regards to funerals, Mr. Ngulube said burial permits will only be issued subject to adherence to the stipulated COVID-19 prevention guidelines.
“Mourners must mask up, they must sanitize, observe physical distancing, avoid crowds and seek medical attention if found sick and only 50 mourners are allowed per gathering,” he said.
Mr. Ngulube further said bars, nightclubs, and casinos that have been allowed to operate from Sunday to Friday from 18 to 22 hours, must also comply with the guidelines provided and operate within the permitted hours.
“Non-compliance will lead to revocation of liquor licenses or any other licenses, closure and or prosecution of the offenders,” he said and instructed that all local authorities monitor adherence and report to the Ministry of Local government on Monday, June 28, 2021.
“Should the report indicate otherwise, such places will be deemed as super-spreaders of COVID-19 and may attract more drastic measures by the government,” he said, adding that funerals with immediate effect will only allow gatherings of 50 people only in order to curtail the spread of COVID-19.
In the last 24 hours, Zambia has recorded 60 new deaths with 2, 595 new confirmed cases. Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Technical Services, Dr. Kennedy Malama said Lusaka is currently considered as a supra epicenter of the pandemic as seen from the continued increase in cases being recorded on a daily basis, with 39 deaths and 559 new cases being recorded in the last 24 hours.
Dr. Malama has also reiterated the warning against people self-prescribing and self-administering drugs from homes such as Dexamethason which he says reduces immunity and makes one vulnerable to COVID 19 and other diseases.
He has also disclosed that the current wave has seen some patients presenting with atypical symptoms which are not the common or classical ones noted during the first and second waves.
“Some of the patients we are seeing now are presenting with atypical symptoms including sneezing, blocked nose, lower backache with weakness as well as mild on and off headache,” he said.
Dr. Malama has also disclosed that the ministry will tomorrow open Chilenje level one hospital as a COVID 19 treatment center, further adding that the country will in the next two days receive about 200 oxygen cylinders.
Wise decision by a proactive government. I voted for this decision during the extraordinary cabinet meeting.
MOH should consider charting the prevalence of the disease so that people can appreciate the enormity of this pandemic. People easily forget when they only read the daily bulletins. Graphs will help to drive the point.
Covid-19 cases numbers are rising day by day,and it’s claiming hundreds of lives ,both in Zambia and surrounding neighbors. As Zambians we need wisdom coupled with medicine ,for us to control the spread of this pandemic. Unfortunately the wisdom am talking about ,does not only come with age ( the number of birthdays one has celebrated ) or the position one is holding. This can be seen by the way we have handled our late father’s funeral Dr KK ,and many other public events.
It’s for this reason that I call upon our leadership to wise Up and learn to walk the talk
You should try your best not to take anything tr00lls say seriously. No matter how poorly they behave, remember these people spend countless unproductive hours trying to make people mad. They’re not worth your time of the day.
THE GOVERNMENT ???????
A LEADERLESS GOVERNMENT MORE TO THE POINT
NEVERTHELESS WE IN TROUBLE AND PEOPLE SHOULD REALISE THE SERIOUNESS OF THIS COVID
MASK UP EVERYBODY
Empty rhetoric, ………from a chipantepante grz ……..
Preaching covid adherence while allowing unmasked crowds to line up for the late KKs closed coffine…..
Empty rhetoric, ………from a chipante. pante grz ……..
Preaching covid adherence while allowing unmasked crowds to line up for the late KKs closed coffine…..
This is what happens when the President appoints PSs …when Parliament is in recess the same calibre of people like his dull ministers are left…all these PS want to follow that moron Bishop Chomba who has been adopted from PS to PF candidate…there are no technocrats anymore no wonder everything is a mess!!
Please ignore the UK based troll/ impostor…its craving for attention!!
KZ which cabinet meeting
How many people attended and who attended cabinet is dissolved
Who are these people? Nightclubs
@KZ, who else was in that cabinet meeting so we arrest them?
Life is way better without those PF ministers, you see Zambia don’t need more than 5 ministers.
This is the action we have been waiting though long over due but will serve a purpose. The covid-19 is real and taking a lot of lives especially among those with under lying factors its like just finishing off the process. Just in the past seven days we have lost a lot of prominent people after SUPER KEN. In my tradition its believed that when an elderly person he does not go to his resting place he must be accompanied by many equally important people. We have lost former PIG Emphraim Maluba Mateyo, CJ Ireen Chirwa Mambilima, former Ministers Malina Nsingo, Newstaed Zimba, Micheal Mabenga, PS Howard Sekwela, former Zambia National Oil Company CEO Everisto Kasunga and many are yet to follow. There is need for govt to form a task force to come up with a health care program for the elderly…
It’s called extraordinary for a reason. Go read the constitution and educate yourselves before commenting.
The positive cases are rising, the government has to take this decision then only the spread can be controlled.
Good decision by the government. There should be a ban on UPND’s campaign activities.
Thank God, the ECZ imposed a ban on all political activities, or else there would be more cases of coronavirus as UPND was conducting back to back rallies in full swing across the provinces.
When people were expressing anger over HH’s behavior in Lusaka when he called the people from all over Zambia in Lusaka, thousands were gathered which broke the Covid-19 protocol. That time his supporters claimed that no covid is there, PF doing it purposely to block HH. Now, where are those dull people? What they will say to this??
Shame on those people that are still following UPND, even after knowing the fact that the party is the super spreader of the deadly virus.
Ban HH from contesting elections, people are dying because of his foolish act. He has no right to even stand for the Presidential elections.
Those fools who were questioning President Lungu’s eligibility to contest the August 12 elections, why they never questioned HH’s eligibility??? His criminal record is exposed, he only brought destruction in Zambia, he really deserves to be the face of Zambia????
Some people are still taking it lightly! Glad that our government has taken this step on time.
We must strictly follow the Covid-19 prevention guidelines! We need to control the spread before it is too late!
It is not only our government’s responsibility to protect Zambians. Everyone must come together including the opposition parties by keeping elections aside. Because it is easy to criticize the government, as we saw HH calling PF as incompetent to controlling the spread. Wonder why he is not coming forward to help Zambians. We must all help each other in this pandemic.
Condemn with a solution but if you don’t have any solution to give then keep quiet. All those who talk too much have less to offer.
God is with us and pull us through this hard times.
My president don’t be dispelled you are in good hands of our Creator.
Covid 19 is a new disease. Since January 2020, there have been thousands of papers published in peer reviewed medical and scientific journals. No one person knows everything. It behoves those who are tasked with the safety and health of the public to engage as many professionals as possible to look critically at the data and see what is working and what is not working. They must take the PIOSEE approach. What is the PROBLEM? What INFORMATION is out there? What are the OPTIONS? Which one do we SELECT? After we EXECUTE the option we choose, we should EVALUATE. Is it working? This was the reason I asked the President to widen the team. But instead, people politicised and insulted.
Good measures but why keep the bars, night clubs and casinos open? These are super spreaders and non-essential for general public. Of course income will be lost but such are times. Please close these as well. When people are intoxicated and in party moods, they simply lift off the guard. Please protect the patrons of these places as well.
Surely KZ the UK based troll and imposter was in a cabinet meeting. Provide PROOF then, you were fired by Edgar China Lungu and now you’re in UK. Until you provide proof (photo of you and Edgar China Lungu and today’s newspaper) it’s all a big lie. PF; Lying about everything, not delivering anything!
Just close the bars and night clubs immediately. They can still great drunk at home
Meanwhile as we speak go to Chita Lodge Kafue. Ministry of finance and Local Govt have a workshop. More than 40 people in attendance.