Zambian President Edgar Lungu has succumbed to pressure and reopened businesses. He has authorised restaurants, gyms, cinemas and casinos and other business entities to resume operations.
Ironically, Zambia’s coronavirus cases have been rising and it now has 167 Covid-19 cases including 14 new cases recorded in the past 24 hours.
Reports suggest that Lungu has made the decision to ease pressure on the cash-strapped State. The move can put in jeopardy efforts by neighbouring countries to curb the novel coronavirus which can be spread or transmitted through porous borders.
Zimbabwean journalist Hopewell Chin’ono has said that while other countries like China that are reopening their institutions are doing so after having put in place infrastructure and measures to fully take care of the new Covid-19 realities, is Zambia being pushed by economic realities and not health full proofing.