LCC STEPS UP COMPLIANCE MONITORING

NOEL IYOMBWA writes Lusaka City Council (LCC) has intensified COVID-19 compliance monitoring of public places in the city. LCC public relations manager George Sichimba said that the intensification of compliance monitoring is premised on the observation that many people and public places have stopped following public health guidelines on the prevention of the spread of Coronavirus. He stated that the Council under the department of Public Health inspected 498 public places in all the seven constituencies from 13th to 19th July, 2020. Mr Sichimba disclosed that   225 places were found not complying with public health guidelines resulting in 16 being closed and 209 being warned. He further reveled that during the same period, 43 international trucks and 8 public places were disinfected. “Night operations were also conducted in conjunction with Zambia Police in which Six (6) premises (Restaurants and Liquor Stores) were found violating public health guidelines by not observing physical distancing and operating as bars contrary to the Presidential directives. “And during the weekend of 18th and 19th July, 2020, public health inspectors conducted church compliance monitoring with 32 churches being monitored. “Out of 32 churches monitored, 13 were satisfactory, 18 were not satisfactory and were warned while one church service was suspended,” he said. The public relations manager elaborated that  the church whose service was suspended had not provided hand washing facilities/sanitisers, congregants were not observing physical distancing, not wearing face masks and the church building was not properly ventilated. He explained that from the time COVID-19 prevention guidelines were put in place, the Council has inspected 4,438 public places, out which 2,445 were satisfactory, 1, 754 were warned and 239 were closed. “The local authority is appealing to residents of Lusaka and visitors alike not to tire up on COVID-19 prevention measures because the disease is still very much around,” he said. The Sun