25/03/2020
STATEMENT BY HIS EXCELLENCY, DR. EDGAR
CHAGWA LUNGU, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC
OF ZAMBIA ON THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
WEDNESDAY, 25TH MARCH, 2020
STATE HOUSE
COUNTRYMEN AND WOMEN,
THE WORLD TODAY FACES ONE OF ITS
GREATEST ADVERSARIES THAT THREATENS
MANKIND. THE CORONAVIRUS DISEASE. THE
CORONAVIRUS DISEASE, ALSO CALLED
COVID-19 HAS DECIMATED LIVES ACROSS THE
WORLD.
COUNTRYMEN AND WOMEN,
THIS VIRUS IS MEAN, DEVASTATING AND
MORBID. A FEW WEEKS AGO, IT WAS HEARD
FROM A DISTANCE IN CHINA; TODAY IT IS IN
THE NEIGHBOURHOOD. TODAY, YOU AND I ARE
NOT SAFE ANYMORE AND UNTIL WE COMPLY
WITH WHAT THE HEALTH AUTHORITIES ARE
SAYING, IT MAY SPREAD QUICKLY AND
ENDANGER OUR LIVES.
COUNTRYMEN AND WOMEN,
ZAMBIA IS LANDLOCKED; AND THAT MEANS,
WITH A CRISIS OF THIS MAGNITUDE, WE SHALL
FIND OURSELVES UNDER FORCED LOCKDOWN
IF ALL OUR NEIGHBOURS CLOSE THEIR
BORDERS. THIS SITUATION WOULD MAKE US
ECONOMICALLY VULNERABLE AND WEAKER.
IN COMING UP WITH MEASURES TO STEM THE
SPREAD OF COVID-19, MY GOVERNMENT HAS
DEVISED A PHASED STRATEGY THAT WILL TAKE
INTO CONSIDERATION INTERVENTIONS FOR
THE LOW AND HIGH INCOME GROUPS, LOW
AND HIGH DENSITY AREAS, RURAL AND URBAN
AREAS. IT IS WITH THIS IN MIND THAT
ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES DEALING IN GOODS
AND SERVICES WILL BE KEPT RUNNING.
COUNTRYMEN AND WOMEN,
I HAVE GONE ROUND THE CITY AND I HAVE
SEEN FOR MYSELF THAT MANY AMONG US ARE
NOT TAKING THIS COVID-19 SERIOUSLY. I HAVE
SEEN MULTITUDES PATRONISING BARS OR
FREELY, HUGGING AND SHAKING HANDS AT
FUNERALS, CONTRARY TO HEALTH ADVISE.
LET ME SAY THIS; IF YOUR LIFESTYLE HAS NOT
CHANGED IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS, THEN YOU
ARE DOING SOMETHING WRONG AND
ENDANGERING BOTH YOURSELF, YOUR
NEIGHBOUR AND YOUR LOVED ONES.
COUNTRYMEN AND WOMEN,
IT IS THE DUTY OF MY GOVERNMENT TO
ENSURE EVERY ZAMBIAN IS PROTECTED FROM
THIS DISEASE. MY GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN
TAKING PROACTIVE MEASURES EVEN BEFORE
THE CURRENT CASES WERE IDENTIFIED AND
PRONOUNCED. I WENT AHEAD AND DIRECTED
THAT SCHOOLS, COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
BE CLOSED PREMATURELY TO PROTECT PUPILS
AND STUDENTS; TEACHERS AND LECTURERS.
EXACTLY NINE DAYS AFTER THE FIRST TWO
COVID-19 CASES WERE ANNOUNCED, TEN
MORE CASES HAVE NOW BEEN IDENTIFIED
BRINGING THE NUMBER TO TWELVE. ELEVEN
OF THEM HAD TRAVELLED ABROAD IN RECENT
WEEKS AND ACQUIRED THE DISEASE FROM
OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY.
ONE HAD COME INTO CONTACT WITH THEM
LOCALLY, AND THEY HAVE ALL BEEN
QUARANTINED.
COUNTRYMEN AND WOMEN,
YOU ARE ALL AWARE THAT, MY CABINET HAS
ALREADY APPROVED THE COVID-19
CONTINGENCY PLAN, INCLUDING ITS BUDGET
AND DIRECTED THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE TO
MOBILISE RESOURCES TO ENABLE LINE
MINISTRIES, PRIVATE SECTOR AND OTHER KEY
STAKEHOLDERS TO CONTAIN AND COMBAT THE
SPREAD OF THE CORONAVIRUS DISEASE IN A
MULTISECTORAL AND COORDINATED MANNER.
COUNTRYMEN AND WOMEN,
LET ME NOW STATE THE MEASURES MY
GOVERNMENT HAS STARTED UNDERTAKING
AND WILL CONTINUE TO UNDERTAKE IN PHASE
ONE TO MITIGATE THE IMPACT OF COVID-19:
1. THE ZAMBIAN MISSIONS ABROAD AND
DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION MUST BE
ALERT TO REVIEW THE ISSUANCE OF VISAS FOR
PEOPLE WANTING TO TRAVEL TO ZAMBIA, AS
WELL AS AT ALL PORTS OF ENTRY INTO THE
COUNTRY FOR ALL TRAVELLERS FROM
COUNTRIES AFFECTED BY COVID-19;
2. TRAVELLERS WILL BE ALLOWED ENTRY INTO
ZAMBIA, HOWEVER, UPON SCREENING THOSE
WHO EXHIBIT SYMPTOMS THEY WILL BE
QUARANTINED IN A MEDICAL FACILITY FOR
TREATMENT, WHILE ALL OTHER TRAVELLERS
WITHOUT SYMPTOMS WILL BE QUARANTINED
FOR AT LEAST 14 DAYS AT THEIR OWN COST;
3. GOVERNMENT HAS SUSPENDED NON-
ESSENTIAL FOREIGN TRAVEL, PARTICULARY, TO
COUNTRIES WHICH HAVE CONFIRMED
COVID-19 CASES;
4. PUBLIC GATHERINGS SUCH AS
CONFERENCES, WEDDINGS, FUNERALS,
FESTIVALS ARE TO BE RESTRICTED TO AT LEAST
50 PEOPLE SUBJECT TO THEM COMPLYING
WITH PUBLIC HEALTH AUTHORITY GUIDELINES;
5. RESTAURANTS MUST OPERATE ONLY ON A
TAKE-AWAY AND DELIVERY BASIS;
6. ALL BARS, NIGHT CLUBS, CINEMAS, GYMS
AND CASINOS MUST CLOSE;
7. ALL INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS TO AND FROM
HARRY MWAANGA NKUMBULA, SIMON
MWANSA KAPWEPWE AND MFUWE
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS ARE SUSPENDED,
INSTEAD, ALL INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS
SHOULD LAND AT AND DEPART FROM KENNETH
KAUNDA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ONLY, TO
ENSURE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE SCREENING
OF TRAVELLERS, AS WELL AS FOLLOWING THEM
UP BY OUR HEALTH AUTHORITIES;
COUNTRYMEN AND WOMEN,
THE MEASURES I HAVE JUST ANNOUNCED
SHALL BE EFFECTED FROM MIDNIGHT ON
THURSDAY 26TH MARCH, 2020 AND SHALL BE
OBSERVED FOR THE INITIAL PERIOD OF 14
DAYS. HOWEVER MY GOVERNMENT SHALL
CONSTANTLY REVIEW THESE MEASURES
DEPENDING ON HOW THE PANDEMIC EVOLVES.
I WILL AT AN OPPORTUNE TIME PROVIDE
FURTHER UPDATE AND GUIDANCE ON THE
CORONAVIRUS DISEASE AND GOVERNMENT’S
CONTINUED RESPONSE. IN THE MEANTIME, THE
COUNCIL OF MINISTERS’ ON DISASTER
MANAGEMENT SHALL BE PROVIDING REGULAR
UPDATES PERIODICALLY.
COUNTRYMEN AND WOMEN,
I KNOW THERE WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT
NEGATIVE SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACT TO OUR
COMMUNITIES AND THE COUNTRY AT LARGE.
THEREFORE, ALL THESE MEASURES ARE
CRITICAL TO ENSURING THAT WE AVERT AN
IMMINENT SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND HEALTH
CRISIS
COUNTRYMEN AND WOMEN,
LET ME TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK
THE DONOR COMMUNITY, BUSINESS HOUSES,
NGOs, TRADITIONAL LEADERS, THE CHURCH
AND CITIZENS FOR ACTIVELY SUPPORTING AND
WORKING WITH THE GOVERNMENT IN
ADDRESSING AND MITIGATING THIS PANDEMIC
AT VARIOUS LEVELS.
REMEMBER, WE ARE AT WAR, A PUBLIC HEALTH
WAR AGAINST COVID-19 WHERE EVERYONE
MUST STAND UP AND BE COUNTED. THE
HEALTH GUIDELINES OF FREQUENTLY
WASHING HANDS, SANITISING, CLEANING OUR
ENVIRONMENT, NOT SHAKING HANDS AND
OBSERVING SOCIAL DISTANCE FROM EACH
OTHER ARE KEY TO OUR SURVIVAL.
THIS FIGHT CANNOT BE WON WITHOUT
COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION. LET US BE EACH
OTHER’S BROTHER AND SISTERS KEEPER AND
ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER TO SEEK MEDICAL
ATTENTION WHENEVER ONE FEELS UNWELL
AND EXHIBITS FLU LIKE SYMPTOMS.
I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT, TOGETHER, WE SHALL
FIGHT AND CONQUER THE CORONAVIRUS
DISEASE IN ZAMBIA.
I THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
