THE BATTLE CONTINUES

COVID-19 is still a big threat to the way of life that Zambia and the rest of the world is used to. That is why it is imperative that there is genuine and concerted effort in the battle against the spread of the disease. There is no need for bar and night club owners to be playing cat and mouse with the  authorities over their operations. Government has made it clear that operations for bars, night clubs and restaurants have been restricted. But it would appear that the warning has been falling on deaf ears in as far as bar owners are concerned. A survey of the bars shows that it is business as usual in most places. This is because there is hardly any enforcement taking place. Like everyone else, the bar and night club owners know that the inspection would not be consistent. This means that they can open if and when they feel like and serve their patrons from within the premises. Unfortunately, this is just helping to spread the Covid-19 which Government is trying hard to contain. This also means that it may take longer to have any kind of normalcy to the kind of life that existed three years ago. The ideal situation would be to eliminate the pandemic and restore order to the life that the world was used to. That the virus has curtailed freedom of movement and association is sad, but this should give the nation a reason to fight. Burial places are running out. Mortuaries failing to take in bodies while hospitals continue to be strained with the increased number of admissions. While Government is optimistic that the battle against Covid-19 will be won, it would help if everyone did their part to make this a reality sooner than later. The last couple of weeks have been a period of grieving for the nation as Covid cases and deaths resulting from this spike in infections and deaths.. However, Government  says the number of newly reported Covid-19 cases will likely drop in the few coming weeks. Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary for Technical Services, Kennedy Malama projected that Zambia’s Covid-19 toll will be under control sooner than later. Dr Malama however said the panacea to bring the  Covid-19 toll under control lies in people’s collective efforts to ensure that they adhered to the public health and social directives and measures which have been prescribed. This entails the participation of all Zambians in ensuring that the prescribed measures are respected. This means avoiding known super spreaders and maintaining social distance, washing hands frequently, sanitising hands, no hand shakes and masking up in public. Markets naturally draw crowds and for as long as they can not be closed for economic reasons, then it follows that measures to protect traders and their customers should be improved. President Edgar Lungu went a step further on Friday when he visited Mtendere and Bauleni markets by directing the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unity (DMMU) to provide free face masks to all traders. This gesture should be extended to bus stations where crowding is a big problem. All in all, it is the responsibility of every Zambian to do their part to ensure that Covid-19 is defeated.