Malawi on 21-day national lockdown from Saturday, April 18

 

By Duncan Mlanjira

President Peter Mutharika on Tuesday, April 14, through Minister of Health & Population, Jappie Mhango announced that the country will go on a 21-day nationwide lockdown — effective Saturday April 18 as new and stricter measures to contain the further spread of the deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Mhango, who is chairperson of the Special Cabinet Committee on COVID-19, says this is in pursuant to Disaster Preparedness and Relief Act (Cap 33:05 of the Laws of Malawi), which the President used to announce the Declaration of State of Disaster on 20th March, 2020.

It has also been done through the Declaration of the Coronavirus Disease as a formidable Disease done on 1st April, 2020 by the President in pursuant to the Public Health Act (Cap 34:01 of the Laws of Malawi).

The Minister said the Lockdown will restrict the movement of people in order to minimize the spread of the virus just as several countries globally, including those neighboring Malawi, have already imposed lockdowns which seemingly has worked in curtailing new infections. 

The lockdown shall take effect from midnight on Saturday for a period of 21 days until the midnight of the 9th day of May, 2020.

Minister Mhango said the Lockdown will be guided by the regulations that have been gazetted by Government on 9th April, 2020; that entails that it shall apply to all districts of Malawi.

Persons that shall be exempted from the application of the lockdown measures shall include;

*Enforcement officer as defined under the Public Health (Coronavirus Prevention, Containment and Management) Rules 2020; and

*A person with a permit to supply essential services as provided under Part 1 of the Schedule to the Public Health (Coronavirus Prevention, Containment and Management) Rules 2020.

*During the lockdown, persons providing essential services as listed under Part 1 of the Schedule to the Public Health (Coronavirus Prevention, Containment and Management) Rules 2020 shall be allowed to operate in accordance to the Rules and these measures.

*All essential services shall be obtained within the locality of residence.

*Councils shall identify and licence persons for supply of essential goods and services to locality markets and shops.

*Any person desirous of getting an essential service out of his or her locality shall get a permit from the local government authority or any delegated person to issue such permits by the local government authority. 

*In the same vein, any person desirous of getting an essential service out of his or her district of residence shall get a permit from the Chief Executive Officer or District Commissioner of the local government authority.

*Except for enforcement officers, no person shall be allowed to leave their homes unless they are listed under Rule 11(3)(a)(i) of the Public Health (Coronavirus Prevention, Containment and Management) Rules 2020.

*All central markets shall be closed. Notwithstanding the generality of the preceding measure, local markets within localities shall remain open from 5:00 am to 6:00 pm on any day.

*Local government authorities shall designate areas as localities for purposes of implementing these measures.

*During the lockdown all non-essential businesses or services will be suspended pursuant to these measures and Regulation 13(2) of the Business Licensing Regulations. 

*For purposes of these measures, essential goods and services are those listed in Part 1 and 2 of the Schedule to the Public Health (Coronavirus Prevention, Containment and Management) Rules 2020.

*Notwithstanding the listed services under the Schedule to the Rules, filling stations shall be treated as an essential service under these measures.

*The persons to perform an essential service or supply essential goods shall be given a permit by the District Commissioner or the Chief Executive Officer of the Council of the area.

*A person performing an essential service may be screened by an enforcement officer as defined in the Public Health (Corona Virus Prevention, Containment and Management) Rules.

*Any person who breaches these measures commits an offence and shall be liable to a fine as prescribed under the Public Health Act.

The Minister said the specific guidelines regulating the lockdown will be made available from Wednesday (April 15), through the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) and other Radios as well as TVs.

He also announced that when the President created the Special Cabinet Committee on COVID-9 on March 7, it was given specific Terms of Reference that entailed provision of policy guidance and overseeing across-Government response to the threat posed by Coronavirus in the country.

“Since its establishment and within its broad mandates, the Committee has tirelessly engaged relevant sectors to come up with proactive measures at first to prevent COVID-19 from being imported into the country. 

“You will also recall unlike most countries, including those surrounding us, Malawi only confirmed its first three cases at the beginning of April, 2020. 

“This necessitated our immediate response because we had to think of not only preventive measures but also containment and case management strategies.

“This is where we are at the moment. The pandemic continues to hit all countries including Malawi very hard. In our case as I reported yesterday through a press conference, the number of confirmed cases has risen from 3 on April 2 to 19 as I speak today. Two lives have been lost in the process.

“As I have also said before, Coronavirus is highly infectious. Last week and specifically on 9th April, 2020, I announced Public Health (Coronavirus Prevention, Containment and Management) Rules, 2020 in my capacity as Minister of Health and pursuant to the Public Health Act. 

“Under this law, Section 31 stipulates that, where there is a pandemic or epidemic, the Minister of Health may make rules to regulate the response to contain the pandemic. By announcing these measures, I added a legal impetus to our ongoing efforts to prevent, contain and manage Coronavirus which is wreaking havoc globally. 

“We had to take a close, long and hard look at what is happening around us and make hard but yet helpful decisions that will curb the spread of this deadly virus. 

“The more we wait to take action, the more the spread because there is now local transmission in the country.”

He urge members of the public to refer to the Rules for more information, which will be reviewed as and when need arises.