Health ministry top official says Malawi political rallies defeating coronavirus fight

Ministry of Health principal secretary Dan Namarika has expressed concern that the political rallies held by both the ruling party alliance and the opposition would defeat the fight against coronavirus.

On Sunday, the nine party opposition alliance led by Lazarus Chakwera and the DPP/UDF alliance Atupele Muluzi held various political rallies across the country with Chakwera launching the campaign in Mzuzu and Muluzi hitting the road for a whistle stop tour.

“As a ministry, we are really concerned with the gathering of people for political rallies by political leaders.

“We have seen huge gatherings, this is would defeat the whole battle in the fight against coronavirus. This is against the global fight against the covid-19,” he said.

He said it was up to the all arms of government, the executive, parliament and judiciary to adhere to the preventive measures of the disease which has crippled world economy including that of the US and China and killed hundreds.

Namarika insisted that lockdown was the best to control the rise of the coronavirus cases.

This follows the announcement by the minister of Health Jappie Mhango who said that the number of cases has now risen to 57.

He explained that  the latest case is of a 27-year-old man from Mulanje who returned from South Africa on April 27.

This means the country has three coronavirus deaths, 40 active cases and 14 recoveries.

Both the opposition and ruling alliance blamed each other for not adhering to the coronavirus strict preventive measures on ban on gatherings of over 100 people.