Health Minister says the country has not recorded any new case of the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) apart from the two that were reported yesterday.

Speaking at a Media briefing with other line Ministries, Dr. Chitalu Chilufya disclosed that the couple that tested positive upon arrival from France aboard Emirates Flight is stable and recuperating well while two other family members are not showing any signs of the disease and are quarantined.

Dr. Chilufya disclosed that the Zambia National Public Health Institute is still in touch with the 82 passengers who disembarked from Emirates flight, adding that those who are at high risk are being closely followed up.

“Today I would like to report that there are no new cases that have been confirmed, the other two members of the family are asymptomatic and are quarantined. The eight close contacts to the affected are currently under self-quarantine and are being followed up,” Dr. Chilufya said.
He reiterated the need for members of the public to observe the laid down public health measures, further directing bars and night clubs to reduce operating time to a maximum of two hours.

And Religious Affairs Minister Godfridah Sumaili has urged Churches to reduce hours of worship to less than an hour and lessen the number of congregants as a preventative measure.

“Church service should not be more than an hour and if anything, we are encouraging people to begin meeting in small cell groups and worship from their homes,” Reverend Sumaili stated.
She said Sumaili said church leaders should keep numbers of their congregants as low as possible and that high levels of hygiene should be practiced.

Reverend Sumaili added that the Church has a significant role to play in the response to Covid-19, hence the need to continue to follow strictly the health instructions given by the Ministry of Health mainly hand washing with soap.
She emphasized that churches should put up hand washing facilities at churches and encourage their members to avoid handshakes.

“Further, there should be no church conferences during this period and we encourage church leaders to begin talking and sensitizing their members on the COVID-19 before going into their main sermon and above all, let us pray as citizens of this country,” she said.