Malawi govt says coronavirus lockdown not imminent but remains an option
Minister of Homeland Security Nicholas Dausi has says general lockdown remains an option in the face of the coronavirus (Covid-19) but that it is too early to order curfew of citizens.
Dausi said this when a special Cabinet committee on coronavirus outlined strict new measures to tackle the coronavirus at a news conference in Lilongwe.
But the Minister was quick to point out that lockdown – when citizens will be stripped away their most basic freedoms to walk, to shop, to socialise and to congregate for prayer without hindrance – remains an option in the event the situation worsens
Dausi said “physical distancing” – the term used in place of “social distancing” –remains the best possible option for Malawians to flatten the curve of the pandemic.
“We also advise that the public follow the government’s hygiene guidelines,” Dausi said.
The special Cabinet committee on coronavirus has also announced the suspension of international flights except for those bringing medical supplies.
Malawian Airlines has since suspended flights to Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Harare and South Africa as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.
The airline’s Public Relations Manager Joseph Josiah has confirmed.
President Peter Mutharika last week declared a State of disaster, promising to marshal the government’s limited resources with a K15 billion fund to deal with the crisis.
He banned all public gatherings of more than 100 people including weddings, funerals, church, congregations, rallies, government meetings, shut schools and also suspended hosting of international meetings.
The national security apparatus has been ordered into action to enforce the restrictions.
Malawi is yet to register any Covid-19 case.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
Namibia and many others close boarder no foreigner is allowed in and citizen have to be given a deadline to return. The country should keep its national interests at state. Seal the boarders.. the disease is spread by human movement that’s how it moved from wuhan to tanzania..zambia..mozambique and to be honest people in malawi have it and are dying too o ly that the hospitals test tb and hiv usually and assumes its pneumonia..remember countries with world class medical facilities have high death tolls and they have put their citizens on lock down on their homes..but still losing almost… Read more »
I believe the DPP is doing it deliberately for not closing the boarders now with an aim that once we register a case of corona the elections should be postponed. I wonder as to why all these delays?????????!!!!!!!!!!!
Great thought sir. totally agree on your counts, country should get lockdown because this country do not have enough ventilators to cure and once it starts spreading it will be disaster.
Don’t use it as a tool to run away from elections.
Good job Dausi. Corona-virus is destroying rich countries and the best Malawi can do is to stop it coming to us.
Please quarantine all Malawians who are coming from South Africa.They are possibly coronavirus carriers.Quarantine them for 20 days not only 14 days, this virus is dangerous ask Chinese, Europeans and Americans they will tell you real bad news about it.God please we beg you to stop this desease tachilapa.