‘Stop playing jokes about Covid-19’

RESIDENTS in Kabwe must stop playing jokes about coronavirus as numbers can rise and make the Central Province capital an epicentre of the pandemic, Member of Parliament, Tutwa Ngulube has warned.

And Mr Ngulube said those disputing the positive cases in Kabwe are hampering efforts to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in the district and the country as a whole.

Some residents in Kabwe have disputed the 11 cases of Covid-19, announced by Health Minister, Chitalu Chilufya, on Tuesday.

In separate interviews, some residents said they would only believe the seriousness of the reported cases once they see Covid-19 patients being attended to in the isolation centres.

But Mr Ngulube urged the people in his constituency and elsewhere not to be gullible but remain realistic because the disease was real and deadly.

Mr Ngulube, who is also the deputy parliamentary Chief Whip, said he was concerned that people in the district were not adhering to the mandatory face mask wearing.

Mr Ngulube said on Tuesday he distributed 1, 200 face masks to traders in the central business district and two hours later none of those who were given had them on.

He has since urged the Kabwe Municipal Council and other stakeholders to ensure that face masks wearing was enforced.

"Wearing of face masks is not there in Kabwe, I distributed 1,200 face masks around town centre but when I went back to check two hours later, none of them was wearing a mask," Mr Ngulube said.