DON’T DROP GUARD

EVEN as the Covid-19 cases continue on the downward trend, Zambians must not drop the guard but continue adhering to the health guidelines to the core.

Citizens must get used to wearing face masks and observing other health rules until the pandemic is completely eradicated.

As Health Minister, Jonas Chanda, indicated a few days ago, all citizens should not be complacent because if they did so, Zambia can experience a third wave of Covid-19.

It is sad, however, that many Zambians have completely dropped the guard even after caution from Dr Chanda.

Many institutions, apart from commercial banks and large supermarkets, have done away with the water basins which they used to mount at entrances and other strategic points.

Even on the roads, law enforcement officers are more concerned with checking unlicensed and overloaded public buses while ignoring unmasked passengers.

Nowadays, no one pays attention to passengers who travel without masks and squeezed when, in actual fact, they are fully aware about the social distancing rule.

Worse still, bars, night clubs and other liquor outlets are operating outside stipulated time on a daily basis.

This is happening even with so many sad stories that are told by survivors of the killer disease, some of whom spent several days on oxygen therapy.

To some people, sensitisation messages on several platforms, including the mainstream media, have become monotonous.

All the carelessness is happening when a friend, relative, acquaintance or workmate has had a severe attack of Covid-19. Some died from the pandemic!

It is common for some people to carry face masks in their pockets or handbags and only shove them out at the entrance of a bank or strict supermarket.

In other crowded locations, people do not mind and are spotted with face masks dangling from their chins while shaking hands with one another as though the pandemic had been wiped out.

Just as some people have observed, the biggest problem in all this is the negative mind-set, which is very difficult to change.

Some people are so careless that they breached health regulations at the height of Covid-19 infections and deaths.

Truth be told, the pandemic has negatively affected the critical sectors of the economy, especially the tourism industry, which has suffered reduced arrivals of foreign visitors.

Although hotels, lodges and tourism spots have started operating under the new normal, business has not been at full-scale while staffing levels have been reduced.

All sectors have had a bitter dose of the Covid-19, thereby affecting the entire economy; this is a global problem.

Therefore, the Church, education institutions and the media must bolster their sensitisation programmes so that citizens are regularly reminded about the need to adhere to the health guidelines or the five golden rules as it were.

Zambia’s economy has had knocks and the outbreak of Covid-19 just exacerbated the whole scenario.

It is for this reason that all citizens must play a role in preventing and reducing the Covid-19 infection rate so that business can steer back to normal.

Don’t drop the guard!