Shadow first lady Monica Chakwera self isolates after returning from US

Monica Chakwera the wife to Malawi Congress Party (MCP) presidential hopeful Lazarus Chakwera,  who would be the First Lady if Chakwera win the presidential re-vote on Tuesday, is self isolating at home after she returned from United States of America and has not been seen public since then.

Chakwera’s wife, was in US and missed the funeral of her mother who died while she was away, only managed to get a flight back home nearly a fortnight ago.

Since her arrival, in accordance with the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic guidance, she has been isolating at home despite not displaying any symptoms herself.

Chakwera has been seen in public accompanied by her daughter.

There has been speculations on social media about the health of the MCP leader that he has also quarantined himself after he has scaled back public rallies this week.

But MCP deputy president Sidik Mia assured party supporters in Nkhotakota that Chakwera is  “fit and well” and that he has reduced public  rallies because he is making “preparatory arrangements” in readiness to form goverment.

MCP secretary general Elsenwhower Mkaka also said Chakwera has been holding meetings at the party headquarters and conducting interviews with international news organisations including BBC and  French news agency AFP.

Malawi will hold the fresh election in the midst of virus pandemic. The country has officially recorded 592 cases of coronavirus and eight deaths.

President Peter Mutharika’s efforts to limit the spread of the virus were torpedoed when  High Court  judge Kenyatta Nyirenda ruled that he could not impose a full lockdown because he had failed to announce any measures to cushion the vulnerable.

During the interview this week with AFP, Chakwera slammed Mutharika’s response to the pandemic.

When coronavirus reached the country in early April, “the knee-jerk response by government made it difficult for people to trust it,” he said.

“Even Cocid-19 funds that have come in, have been abused,” he charged, without giving details.

Tens of thousands of people have turned up for campaign rallies in blatant defiance of restrictions of large crowds, and health experts fear an explosion of infections in a country with a weak health system.

“People are saying, let’s settle the political question and then we can together look at this pandemic and how best to fight it,” said Chakwera.

Meanwhile, t he new winter season that Malawi is experiencing risks a rapid spread of Covid-19 across the country, Blantyre District Health Office (DHO) Chrissy Banda has said.

Every year during winter, Malawi experiences high cases of cold, cough and flu, with this trend, the DHO office believes that this will aid easy transmission of the virus with reference to the fact that the virus is commonly transmitted through fluid droplets, she said.

Similarly, the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr Dan Namalika said that Malawians need to take further measures to avoid the spread of the virus.

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