•       Government must enforce Covid-19 measures.

•       Wearing of facemasks in markets, bus stations and shopping malls must be enforced.

•       Return robust enforcement of the measures announced by President Lungu.

Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) has urged government to take a leading role in enforcing the Covid-19 precautionary measures.

Centre Executive Director Father Alex Muyebe told Money FM News that government must put in place robust measures to contain the spread of the new strain of the virus. 

Fr. Muyebe said there is need for government to enforce wearing of facemasks in public places such as shopping malls, markets, bus stations, public and private vehicles where there are more than one person on board.

“The second wave of Covid-19 is severe and is thriving on complacency and acute disregard of the standard Covid guidelines by both national leaders and the general public.  Unlike during the first wave of Covid-19 when we were accustomed to hearing of Covid cases at a distance, this time around, most of us have now Covid cases in our homes.  Unfortunately most of us now know of family members and friends who have become victims of Covid-19.  Some of us have even lost our beloved ones to Covid-19.”

“JCTR believes that the government must take a lead in enforcing Covid preventive measures by putting in place robust measures to contain the spreading of this new strain of the virus.  Therefore, JCTR joins other stakeholders in calling the government to enforce wearing of masks in public places such as shopping malls, markets, bus stations and in public and private vehicles where is there is more than one person on board,” Fr. Muyebe said.

He further called for the full return and robust enforcement of the measures that were announced by President Edgar Lungu when he addressed the nation in March and April last year.

And Fr. Muyebe advised government to temporarily suspend all public gatherings, including political rallies.

“We call on the Head of State to consider putting a halt to visiting of development projects because such visits inevitably draw crowds of people thereby endangering their health in this Covid era. The safety and the lives of the Zambian people must be an all-time priority,” he stated.

Zambia has so far recorded 29, 757 Covid-19 cases since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country in March last year, with 495 deaths and 21, 074 recoveries.