Lockdown Looms As COVID-19 Cases Rise

Health Authorities yesterday warned that restrictions could be placed on the population if COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to rise.

Dr Kennedy Malama, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health in charge of Technical Services, warned that restrictions as well as potential lockdown should be expected as a result of the rate at which COVID-19 cases are rising within the country.

“What we see today is that members of the public expect restrictions and indeed a lockdown to be effected for us to stem to COVID-19 infections. We would like to remind our people that government is seriously considering imposing these restrictions at the rate we are progressing as a country,” Dr Malama commented.

Concerns, have, however, arisen as to the negative impact which this decision would have on an already suffering economy. If businesses are forced to shut, or restrictions are placed on opening hours, the income of hundreds of thousands of Zambians would be in jeopardy.

As the debt mountain rises along with inflation, as a result of negligent government decisions, a lockdown could be seen as one step too far if the country hopes to ever recover economically from the state which it finds itself in now.

On Monday 1,388 COVID-19 cases were recorded alongside 27 deaths, the largest number of deaths recorded in the country since August last year.

Photo: Xinhua