Some residents of Chinsali district in Muchinga Province have raised concern over the general public’s low levels of adherence to Covid-19 guidelines.
Everisto Kangwa, one of the concerned residents, says many people have completely stopped following the Covid-19 guidelines despite the increasing numbers of cases the country has started recording.
Mr Kangwa told the Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) in Chinsali today that Covid-19 regulations remained in effect even at the time cases had reduced.
He observed that residents, especially in the central business district (CBD) which is mostly crowded, are walking about without face masks, adding that some shop owners have also removed the hand washing basins.
Mr Kangwa stated that there is need for behaviour change among residents with regard to taking precautionary measures of preventing the spread of the global pandemic.
“We just heard that Nakonde, which is very near to Chinsali, has recorded six new Covid cases and this should be a wake-up call to everyone in this town,” he said.
He has since called on the media and the Ministry of Health to strengthen sensitisation campaigns through various platforms in a bid to remind people that the pandemic is still active.
And Faustina Kapungu, who is a business woman involved in pharmaceuticals, lamented that the lack of adherence by the general public in Chinsali is very alarming.
Ms Kapungu said public health authorities need to quickly ensure that preventive measures are followed.
She said the population has also increased in the district and this may be a super spreader of the disease.
She also called on the residents to follow the health guidelines of hand washing, sanitising and observing social distancing.
“It is sad that people here have forgotten how this disease killed a lot of people and they have taken it lightly that it is no more when it is still here with us,” she said.
Meanwhile, Esnart Chimfwembe, a marketeer at the Chinsali main market, has advised her fellow traders to adhere to the health regulations to avoid recording any cases at their trading areas.
Ms Chimfwembe said the market is always overcrowded, stating that the movement of different people in and out of the trading facility poses great danger of contracting the disease.
Recently, the country has seen an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases.