COVID-19 FIGHT
HEALTH Minister Sylvia Masebo is justified to talk about her frustrations over the public’s continued indifference to what the world has accepted as one of the biggest challenges facing mankind – the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ms Masebo was speaking in Kitwe yesterday when she noted the lack of seriousness in observing the five golden rules in the fight against Covid-19.
Her concerns are genuine considering the efforts that the government has made in sensitising the public and the financial resources poured into the Covid-19 fight.
Even when health authorities have confirmed the recent spike in Covid-19 infections and accompanying deaths, it has been “business as usual” from a sceptic public.
Pleas to have people use face masks on public transport vehicles, and indeed in crowded public places, particularly markets have fallen on deaf ears.
The Covid-19 vaccination drive started by the former Patriotic Front administration has not only been re-launched by President Hakainde Hichilema, but has also been rolled out to public facilities like markets and bus stations.
One would have expected people to take advantage of this initiative and get vaccinated. But to date, the country has not even managed to vaccinate half of the population.
Late last year, Government spoke about limiting access to public offices by unvaccinated people in an effort to make people get the jab. The idea was shot down by most people, that it was an infringement on individual’s rights.
French President Emmanuel Macron caused a furore this week by saying he wanted to “piss off” those who refuse to get vaccinated by “limiting as much as possible their access to activities in social life.”
The remarks from the leader of a country that sees itself as a global beacon of liberty underscore the extent to which the pandemic has changed national priorities.
Zambians must in fact be grateful that even at the height of the third wave, they did not lose any of their civil liberties.
Although the government restricted certain activities, especially the operating hours of bars, restaurants and nightclubs, it never resorted to a total lockdown as happened in some countries.
Zambians ought to learn from the worsening situation in most of the developed countries where the authorities have resorted to enforcing strict restrictions on their citizens.
For avid followers of the English Premier League, they should have noticed the high number of matches that have been postponed as Covid-19 ravaged the teams.
Some teams have not even been able to raise teams, and have had their training centres closed.
Yet, these are countries where over 70 percent of the population has been vaccinated, topped up with booster shots.
Maybe it is time that the government applied a little pressure on its sceptic public who have not only refused to accept the vaccination against Covid-19 but do not even bother adhering to the health guidelines against the pandemic.
Established democracies in particular have been quick to crimp basic freedoms in the name of fighting the virus.
It could also be just the tonic that some Zambians need to jolt them into reality and no one should cry foul. It would be protection and not persecution.
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