Zambia Reintroduces Restrictions To Avert The Risk Of Fourth Wave And Omicron

The country has made covid 19 vaccination mandatory for public workers and journalists as one of the preventive measures. By Kelvin Mbewe [caption id="attachment_91180" align="alignnone" width="720"] Minister of Health Sylvia Masebo[/caption] As signs of the fourth covid 19 wave are looming in Zambia, the country has reintroduced restrictions to avert a possible rise in corona virus infections amidst new variant called omicron which has not yet been recorded in Zambia. And the country has introduced mandatory covid 19 vaccination for public officers and journalists failure to which they will not be allowed for work. The countrys Minister of Health Sylvia Masebo said at a press briefing yesterday that the restrictions are for a period of one month and will be subject to review. Among the restrictions announced by the minister include provision of vaccination evidence before entering public places. Local authorities and the police service will continue inspection pf all public places for adherence to public health measures for covid 19 control, they will also ensure that public places are fumigated, she said. Ms Masebo said the restrictions will be effected on November, 30, 2021. "Surveillance at all points of entry will be heightened. Both testing for SARS-cov-2 and vaccination will be conducted. These are airports, road border ports, sea entry points and illegal entry points," she said. She further said all travelers coming from high risk countries will be quarantined for 10 days in designated places at their own cost. Public transport operators have been given a jurisdiction to ensure that everyone on their transport is masked up, sanitized and physically distanced by restricting the number of passengers in respect of the bus size and regularly sanitize their vehicles. The Minister said churches will have to meet three times a week for only one hour each time they meet. "Funerals and weddings should only accommodate less than 50 people, subject to approval by authorities," she said. Ms Masebo said bars, casinos will operate for limited hours from 18 to 20 hours and will only operate four times a week. Meanwhile Ms Masebo said the cumulative number of confirmed cases in the country stand at 210, 143, including 3,667 deaths.