Home Affairs Minister says the Zambia Police Command has directed all Police commissioners across the country to instruct officers to restrain from collecting K750 COVID-19 fines from members of the public.

Speaking during the routine Covid-19 updates at the Ministry of Health, Stephen Kampyongo said it is regrettable that some police officers have taken it upon themselves to collect admission of guilty fees from members of the public, thereby misinterpreting provisions of Statutory Instrument (SI) Number 22.
Mr. Kampyongo further disclosed that the police command through its Inspector General Kakoma Kanganja is directing all police commissioners to monitor the implementation of the presidential directives and enforcement of SI 22 in their respective provinces and ensure that the enforcement is done within the confines of the law.
“I know that of late we have had complaints coming from members of the public in the manner some of the police officers have interpreted the SI. We are aware that in the SI there is a provision which talks about the punitive measures that should be taken on those that have been contravening the SI and Presidential directives.”
“Regrettably, we have had some officers in certain areas who have taken it upon themselves to collect admission of guilty fees from members of the public. And I want to make a clarion call to all our command structures that this matter must be dealt with immediately,” Mr. Kampyongo said.
He said officers have been restrained from arresting and charging fines to members of the public not wearing masks, but that they should instead warn and sensitize violators in order to minimize the risk of spreading the virus.
Mr. Kampyongo added that the role of the Police in the fight against COVID-19 is to equally sensitize people and ensure that they are compliant to the public health guidelines that have been provided.

Meanwhile, Minister of Health Dr. Chitalu Chilufya has disclosed that the country has recorded 142 new cases of COVID-19 out of 794 tests done in the last 14 hours, bringing the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases in the country to 9,981 cases.

Dr. Chilufya said currently, 73 patients are being treated at Levy Mwanawasa isolation Centre and that 38 are on Oxygen support, while 8 are in Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and that the death toll still stands at 264 as the country has not recorded any deaths in the last 24 hours.

“The 142 cases include 70 individuals identified through routine screening in Lusaka, Kabwe 22, Chingola 5, Chililabombwe 2, Ndola 1, 32 individuals identified through hospital screening in Lusaka, 28 contacts to known cases in Lusaka 26, Chililabombwe 1, Kabwe 1, and 12 health care workers screened in Lusaka.”

“We have discharged 209 patients, and therefore the recoveries now are at 8, 776 cases,” Dr. Chilufya said.