COVID WAVE, ZAMBIANS TOLD

By KETRA KALUNGA ZAMBIA is likely to be hit by the fourth Covid-19 because of the rainy season which is approaching, says the Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI) ZNPHI Director General, Professor Victor Mukonka, urged citizens to prepare for the possible fourth Covid-19 wave through vaccination and compliance to other preventive measures. He advised Zambians to strictly follow the golden rules of masking up, maintaining physical distance, seeking medical treatment when symptomatic, avoiding crowded places and washing hands regularly. In an interview, Prof Mukonka urged people to get vaccinated and enhance compliance levels to overcome the severity of the virus that keeps mutating and makes it more deadly. “Looking at the indications, the fourth wave will hit because we are approaching the rainy season and the festivities so we need to stop the transmissions by adhering to the golden rules, so people should be vaccinated,” he said. Prof Mukonka called for unity of purpose and collective responsibility to effectively fight the pandemic. He said as stakeholders in the fight against Covid-19, ZNPHI would continue working in a multi-sectoral manner to mitigate transmissions. Prof Mukonka called for continued training of frontline workers and empowering them with necessary equipment needed to fight the pandemic.