By NATION REPORTER
THE ASIAN community has been advised to go into self-quarantine for two weeks after Zambia recorded 26 confirmed cases of Coronavirus from people who had recently gone to Pakistan.
Pakistanis have been identified as the majority of the laboratory confirmed Coronavirus cases now at 28 in Zambia with 26 of these having recently come from that country.
Now the Association of the Indian Community in Zambia (AlCZ) has asked the Hindu and Muslim communities to immediately go into self-imposed isolation for at least two weeks and close all business houses during the period.
AICZ Secretary General, Zuber Dasu said in a statement that the situation was very serious and concerned the public at large.
“The number of confirmed cases in now 28, and most of those cases arise from those that travelled to Pakistan and upon returning those that came in contact with them. We have to be responsible and not allow the situation to get any worse. Consequently, the association is requesting members from both the Hindu and Muslim communities to immediately go into self-imposed isolation for at least two weeks; and close all business houses,” he said.
Mr Dasu said those that had domestic help, who come from other areas, should provide them with adequate food rations and money and equally ask them to return home and self-isolate themselves in their respective homes.
Meanwhile, Health Minister, Chitalu Chilufya said the 26 were a cluster that had recently travelled to Pakistan while the others were the first two cases recorded in Zambia, the couple who travelled to France.
Speaking during the seventh Covid-19 update in Lusaka yesterday, he said from the 22 cases that were confirmed as of Friday, six more positive cases had been recorded in the country.
Dr Chilufya explained that three of the new cases were among the group that had travelled to Pakistan while the other three contracted the virus locally from some of the patients.
He said all contacts to confirmed patients had been followed up and tested.
Dr Chilufya pointed out that 335 people have been tested so far out of whom the 28 positive cases were found.
He also said 20 golfers who had travelled to Dubai were all rounded up and tested but that they were found negative.
“We told those golfers to stay home,” said Dr Chilufya.
And Dr Chilufya said 5, 000 frontline health personnel would be recruited to beef up human capital in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
He said with the coronavirus cases increasing, there was need to put the patients in different isolation centres depending on the intensity of the disease.
Dr Chilufya said there was need for more health personnel at the moment and that President Edgar Lungu had approved the recruitment of 5,000 front line staff.
He also said front line health personnel taking care of Covid-19 patients were also quarantined for 14 days and tested before they were allowed to return home or into society.
Meanwhile, Dr Chilufya assured that with minimised movements among citizens, possibilities of contracting Covid-19 were slim.
