Covid nightmare: Malawi to be hit by ‘third wave’ as parties defy measures

Minister of Health Khumbize Chiponda, who is also Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 co-chairperson,  can expect to be hit by a third coronavirus wave despite most of the adult population likely being vaccinated if the restrictive measures are being ignored and local medics  are worried health care system might not withstand it.

Speaking at the daily Covid-19 briefing in Lilongwe on Sunday, Chiponda  said there is need to continue to follow public health guidelines, including restrictions on opening and closing times for bars and seating capacity in public transport.

“The [public health] preventive measures  should still be followed,” she said.

The public health guidelines include mandatory wearing of face masks in public places, restrictions in opening and closing of social joints to between 2pm and 8pm, and no consumption of beer within premises of drinking joints.

Other mandatory measures include placing of hand washing facilities and sanitisers in public places such as shops, offices, markets and churches, reduction by half in seating capacity of public transport vehicles, observing social distance in gatherings, burying of dead bodies within 24 hours and a ban on preparation of communal food during funerals and other gatherings.

However, the country’s main political parties in the Tonse Alliance administration – Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Alliance for Democracy (Aford), UTM and People’s Party (PP), and opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and United Democratic Front (UDF) are ckearky violating  the prevention rules and regulations during the ongoing campaign for the Marh 30 elections in seven constituencies and two wards.

Politicans  are ignoring the restrictions on public gathering to 50, there is no physical distancing, not many are wearing face masks and hand-washing  and sanitisig is not adhered to.

President of the Society of Medical Doctors, Dr. Victor Mithi says there is need to enforce strict Covid-19 preventive measures to avert the third wave of the infection.

“Friends, there is a third wave coming, you can see what is happening in Kenya. It is just a matter of time before it hits our nation.

“We can buy drugs, oxygen cylinders and other consumables but if more people continue to be sick in another wave we may achieve little.

“Our health care system will not withstand the third wave. Our only stregth is prevention,” he said.

Mithi said this include immunisation as it boosts internal defense and thereby preventing people from getting severe disease and reduces chances of being hospitalized and and even dying from the virus.

He warned that a third wave of coronavirus is “inevitable.”

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