Chakwera Says Malawi Not fully Prepared for Covid-19

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera said Malawi is not adequately prepared for the coronavirus that has claimed lives of many people across the globe.

Chakwera made the remarks in a statement broadcast on Times Television on Wednesday night.

According to Chakwera, who visited to 4 hospitals recently in Lilongwe, health facilities are not ready for the outbreak and people from affected countries are continuing to enter Malawi without being tested.

“Last week, government received 20,000 test kits but conveniently neglected to provide storage rooms for the tests at district level,” he said.

He added that people from affected countries continue to cross the country’s borders without being tested.

“These lapses mean that as a country we are hoping for the best, that this virus will not cross our borders, but we are ill-prepared for the worst,” said Chakwera.

The MCP Leader sees Mutharika ordering a lockdown if the virus enters the country but he told Mutharika to justify the lockdown and will need to tell poor Malawians how the government will support citizens during the lockdown..

According to Chakwera, Mutharika will also have to guarantee Malawians that their right to elect a president will be respected and that the 2020 fresh elections will still be held within the period ordered by the Constitutional Court.

“Without these measures, a lockdown could itself become a threat to the stability of the country,” said Chakwera.

He then advised Malawians to practice social distancing, wash hands with soap, avoid touching face and to stay home when sick.

Malawi is yet to record a case of the coronavirus which has affected 203 countries across the world with over 900,000 cases more than 45,000 deaths recorded.