Asian Business Community to provide fully functioning isolation and quarantine solutions in Blantyre and Zomba

By Duncan Mlanjira 

In response to pressing and urgent need to assist the Government in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) response, the Asian Business Community (ABC) COVID-19 Task Force is set to provide fully functioning isolation and quarantine solutions in Blantyre and Zomba. 

A statement from ABC COVID-19 Task Force chairperson Faizal Aboo and his deputy, Dr. Parth Patel said the isolation and quarantine facilities will be fully equipped by ABC and will be handed over to the Ministry of Health to operate.

The statement says locations and facilities in Blantyre and Zomba have already been identified as isolation and quarantine centres in full coordination with the Blantyre DHO and that ventilators, PPEs, medication have been procured for the medical personnel which the community will meet its costs.

“The establishment and equipping of the isolation and quarantine centres for the Ministry of Health, are fully funded by well-wishers from the Malawian Asian Community. 

“These funds were raised within 72 hours of the budget being received. Within receiving a request for PPE from the Blantyre DHO, the ABC provided 100 sets within 24 hours.”

So far, ABC’s COVID-19 Task Force, which was created on March 26, 2020 in response to the global pandemic and has a force of over 40 volunteers of sub committees, also donated an ambulance to Blantyre DHO to assist in their testing and response. 

It has distributed 200,000 leaflets that have been printed under the “Do The Five” nationwide campaign.

They have also elected billboards which have same messages of the leaflets that encourage people to observe regular hand washing, social distancing, avoiding handshakes, observing self-quarantine rules as provided if one has recently returned from a COVID-19 hot spot country and to avoid overcrowded places.

Last week, the ABC of Blantyre, Limbe and Zomba rolled out a partial lockdown of 14 days that was effected from midnight of Thursday, April 9 for a period of 14 days, ending April 23.

After extensive discussions and deliberations with business captains, ABC says it is evident that the Asian Business Community is a critical component for the survival of major industries in the country.

The final decision was made to set up deliberate efforts to mitigate the financial loss to the value chain of businesses and the national economy due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The conditions set for the lockdown under effect include asking everyone over the age of 53 years to stay within the confines of their home; that all domestic staff over the age of 53 to be given a paid 14 days leave and that all those with existing underlying health conditions to stay within the confines of their home.

The womenfolk (if not main breadwinners) and children are to remain within the confines of their home, except in the case of emergencies and only the bread winner of the family may leave the house to go to work between 6am till 7pm.

Non-breadwinners may only go out to get medical supplies, food and essential household items and that restaurants must operate on a delivery or take out basis.

The Community also asks that no one should leave their home after 8pm till 6am unless in an emergency and based on clear Government of Malawi directives, all places of social gatherings (clubs, bars, shisha lounges) must be closed and restaurants will only offer take away services till 8pm.

The Taskforce also restricted its members not to undertake non-essential travel, such as travelling to Mangochi, Lilongwe or recreational areas for the Easter weekend.

At respective business work place all necessary precautionary measures such as social distancing, hand washing, wearing of masks and gloves etc must be strictly adhered to.

The same caution and strict measures apply on returning home from work place.

The Community strongly warns that any member found violating this partial lockdown without a valid reason, strict action by community elders will be taken against them including a penalty of K500,000.

“Whilst we appreciate that this directive may be challenging for some and may affect our lifestyle in one way or another, it is important to state that we have reached this decision only after lengthy consultations with medical professionals and are doing this in the best interest of us all,” Aboo had said in a statement.

The ABC COVID-19 Task Force’s participating organisations are: AHI Zomba; BAPS Temple Limbe; Bilal Trust; Blantyre Muslim Jamaat; Limbe Muslim Jamaat; Malawi Telugu Association; Pakistan Welfare Association; Shree Hindu Seva Mandal, Blantyre; Sikh Association and Sri Lankan Association.

Its purpose is to immediately identify and address the limited knowledge about COVID 19; to provide practical, concise and accurate information to the public at large and to harness the wide knowledge in the community and leverage its business and social connections to assist Government organisations to identify the most immediate requirements in Blantyre and its surroundings.

It also aims at assisting in remedying these requirements and to raise funds from within the Asian community in Malawi to try and remove some of the burden from the Government.

“We thank the Ministry of Health and the Blantyre DHO, whom we are working side by side with, for their accessibility, time and understanding during the most trying circumstances. 

“The only way to limit the impact is to work in concert and ABC intends to provide all the support it can — Together We Can Beat COVID-19”, says the statement signed by Aboo and his deputy, Dr. Parth Patel.