Malawi to demand Covid-19 test certificates from returnees
Government will now be demanding Covid-19 test certificates from returnees on arrival at borders following violent protests yesterday by returnees from South Africa who were demanding that they be released from a quarantine centre in Blantyre before their covid-19 test results were out.
A number of structures at Mapanga Prison Training School in Blantyre were damaged by the returnees who had come a day earlier from South Africa.
Minister of Health, who is also Co-chair of the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda said the actions by the returnees has forced the government to revisit its policy on returnees on Covid-19 protocols, saying they will now be asked to produce a covid-19 test certificate.
Until yesterday, the government bore the cost of testing the returnees.
Kandodo Chiponda also said the government will maintain the Mapanga prison training school facility as the quarantine centre for the returnees.
“No retreat, no surrender, Mapanga remains institutional quarantine for returnees,” she says.
Chimwemwe Shaba spokesperson for Malawi Prison Service said the rioters who have just returned from South Africa were demanding their immediate release despite not getting their COVID-19 test results.
Shaba said the rioters have damaged a number of structures at the facility during the fracas and police are currently keeping in cooler ring leaders of the commotion.
Calm has returned at the place and maintenance works on the buildings have began this morning.
Kandodo Chiponda described the development as retrogressive and saddening.
“As Government, our core mandate is ensuring safety for all and I should stress here that we will not back down in enforcing COVID-19 prevention measures,” said Chiponda.
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SUNDAY very soon will be enforced as a day of rest other than Sabbath
Kutha ma plan kumeneko boma longonamizira limene. Inu mudzidziwa kuti certificate kuti ndi ya original kapena ayi. Covid certificate imatha / imapanga expaire pakatha masiku atatu ndiye anthu kuyenda one week ali munjira. Ndiye pali chimene mukuchita. Ayeseni anthu akafika Army akhalepo ndipo oanetse kulusa kwao kuti sagwira ndi anthu ngati a police. Kupanga chiganizo chikukukanikani.
Punish these idiots heavily for biting the teat that sustains them.
It should have been better to leave them in Afrika de Suide than bring this rot here infecting even their parents and sexual partners.
Rwanda does not allow these so called Covid 19 certificates which most of them are fake. They insist on testing the new arrivals. When you test negative you are allowed to stay in a hotel for one day at your own cost. If you test positive, you are forced to stay in hotel for 7 days at your own cost, It is even worse for those entering though the airports. Similarly when one passenger tests positive, everybody who was on the flight except the crew is forced to stay in a hotel for 7days at their own cost. Because of… Read more »
Just because you had a chance to sneak into South Africa and work for a Pakistani as an errand boy, these mamparas think that they are now forward in everything, useless economic refugees! Malawi is not a banana republic, you must behave for you to enjoy your stay in your home country otherwise you will feel pain on top of your wives being impregnated by your friends when you left them, bloody fools!
They will simply fake the certificates. Mind you, the majority of these fellas are illegals in South Africa hence live under the raiders. Not very easy then to go and present themselves for tests.
kalata kwa anduna a zaumoyo. asking negative certificate ndiyosagwira. anthu akumalembetsa. especially awa abwera pa bus. Those at the airport have medical aid and insurance
To late
Aaaa inu simukuona aCovid certificate akungolowa. Mwatsalira ngati dziko lotsalira nthawi zonse. Banana Republic, zopanda lamulo. Kulibe utsogoleri.
People are getting fake covid certificates in Johannesburg. That decision will fuel covid cases in Malawi