Zambia to impose restrictions on unvaccinated people

The measures which will take effect tomorrow are for one month subject to review and government is expected to announce more measures as the situation unfolds, according to Health Minister Sylvia Masebo.

Announcing the new measures at a media briefing last evening, Ms. Masebo said it will now be a requirement for public service workers to be vaccinated for them to be admitted to their work places and this will be done in consultation with the Unions.

Ms. Masebo announced that it will also be a requirement for all persons to provide evidence of vaccination before entry into government buildings while religious groupings will only meet three times per week for one hour every time they meet subject to clearance from the health and local authorities.

She said members of the public shall not be allowed into government buildings without wearing face masks, funerals and weddings to accommodate less than 50 people subject to approval while bars and tarvens among others will operate for limited hours from 18 hours to 20 hours four times a week to allow the owners to fumigate their premises.

Ms. Masebo said public transport operators will ensure adherence to covid-19 prevention measures by restricting the number of commuters and regularly sanitising their buses while market and bus station managers shall not allow entry of people into their premises without wearing face masks.

She said travellers from high risk countries shall be quarantined for 10 days in designated places at their own cost and government will rollout a countrywide vaccination of citizens using areas of mass gathering such as markets.

Ms. Masebo added that surveillance at all points of entry will be heightened and will include testing and vaccination and local authorities and state police will continue inspections at all public places for adherence to preventive measures for covid-19.

She said Zambia Zambia has adequate laws to ensure enforcement of the pronounced measures.