SIMON MUNTEMBA writes
A TOTAL of 120 police officers including members of the traffic wing were yesterday deployed to Kafue district to ensure compliance during the lockdown aimed at containing the spread of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19).
Police public relations officer Esther Katongo said in a statement yesterday 120 officers were deployed across Kafue.
Ms Katongo said the district had been zoned into six and officers deployed to all of them to manage the areas and ensure compliance by members of the public.
“Some police officers have been deployed at the toll plaza on the Northern part of Kafue while other officers are at Kafue Road Bridge on the Southern Part of Kafue whose mandate is to escort convoys of motor vehicles through Kafue and ensure that no motor vehicle picks or drops-off people within Kafue District,” Ms Katongo said.
She said all trading centres, including markets, in the district had been closed and movement of people restricted.
Ms Katongo said police officers would remain on the ground until they were guided otherwise by relevant authorities.
To avert the escalation of new coronavirus cases in the country, President Edgar Lungu on Tuesday ordered a complete lockdown on Kafue to enable health workers to disinfect the district and test residents for Covid19.
Government had since directed that no-one should leave or enter Kafue today to enable surveillance teams to thoroughly screen and test people for the deadly virus.
The drastic measure is aimed at identifying possible coronavirus cases following the death of a 58-year-old businessman from the virus last week who used to live in the district.
Updating the nation on coronavirus statistics yesterday, Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya said, “Government wants to locate possible cases to prevent further infections.”
Zambia has recorded two deaths since the first two cases were reported last month and the count has now reached 48.
