… As hugging, kissing, wawa wawa continue in bars
By Scoop Reporter
LUSAKA Province Minister Bowman Lusambo has warned Lusaka residents against their stiff-neckedness and carefree behaviour in the fight against COVID-19 saying the bars they are patronizing are death traps.
Posting on his Facebook wall yesterday, Mr. Lusambo expressed concern that while COVID-19 cases are skyrocketing, adherence to public health guidelines to curb the pandemic is slaking.
“Our bars are covid-19 death traps. As I continue with my recovery, I wish to share some reflections regarding the manner in which we as Zambians are approaching the fight against Covid-19. From the onset, Covid-19 is real and is a very dangerous and debilitating disease. It can kill you in a matter of hours. It spreads fast and does not respect social status.
“It is therefore heartbreaking to see latest videos taken from overcrowded bars and nightclubs in Lusaka showing patrons seemingly enjoying themselves with no regard to social distancing and not wearing face masks. What is even more disturbing is that most of the patrons are adults with families whose conduct places those families at a higher risk of contracting Covid-19.
“Unlike in the past few months when we had some levels of adherence to public health guidelines on Covid-19 prevention, we now seem to have thrown caution to the wind. I wish to warm Zambians especially Lusaka residents that these restaurants we have now turned into bars are mere death traps. They have the potential to swallow all of us and wipe out the entire city,” Mr. Lusambo said.
He says while people are seeing the devastation and the havoc that Covid-19 has wrenched on life, it is difficult to slow the pandemic with such uncalled for behaviour.
“We run the risk of having our public health system which has done very well thus far overrun by demand caused by a sharp spike in cases. Our hardworking frontliners will soon be overwhelmed to breakpoint levels and when that happens, the entire economy will inevitably collapse.
“We can change the tide by adopting responsible behavior. His Excellency President Edgar Chagwa Lungu has demonstrated admirable sound leadership during this Covid-19 pandemic as he has done on several other dark periods in our country’s recent history such as the gassing incidents, drought and floods, KCM saga, including the market fires.
“We can help him and his administration by playing our role as citizens to stem the spread of Covid-19. Please be responsible, stay home, practice social distance and mask up,” he said.
