CEHF ZAMBIA EMBARKS ON LIVINGSTONE COVID-19 COMPLIANCE LEVEL SURVEY

The Children’s Environmental Health Foundation (CEHF) in collaboration with Livingstone City council, Environmental Health Officers, Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) and Livingstone District Health Officer recently conducted a field study on the COVID-19 chemical and Waste Management compliance and implementation levels to determine the factors that made the COVID-19 pandemic to keep on spreading.

CEHF Chairperson Michael Musenga stated that the survey or research was conducted to document some of the factors that contributed to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the impact of chemicals and wastes on the pandemic.

During the survey, Mr Musenga noted that they were a number of business premises owners who were complying as well as not complying with the COVID-19 prevention guidelines.

He stated that the a few breakdowns of some of the observations on the stores, branches and outlets visited were as follows;

MFinance microfinance institution

• There was no hand washing facility by the entrance of which the manager said it fell off by the wind and got broken.

• No masking for both workers and the customers, instead each worker had a personal hygienic hand sanitizer.

• The hygienic hand wash which got expired on 20^th November, 2019 was found on the broken hand washing facility.

Pep Stores

• There was a hand washing facility by the entrance and there was a gentleman facilitating the sanitizing and temperature check. The chemicals being used was the Bacterojell produced by DynaChem.

• They have their policy promoting COVID-19 prevention stuck on the wall, counter and the shelves. Social distance was also seen being observed.

• All retained items by customers including those that are tried on were put in the quarantine room and were only put back in the shelves after 7 days. This was done in order to make sure that the virus that could come with the items died.

• In case of a COVID-19 case, they have put up the procedure to follow whereby the premise is closed immediately and everyone who came into contact with the case had to be quarantined.

Munali Cafe

• Just by the entrance there was a notice to instruct customer to must up and wash their hands.

• Although hand washing facility was provided, no one was observed using it. Customer were just going in and out without masking up and washing their hands.

• The chemical provided on the hand washing facility was Blue Fresh, manufactured by Nemchem International.

• The manager raised a concern to say some customers refuse to wash their hands saying they are just from washing few minutes ago. Others say they have got their own hand sanitizer and so no need to wash their hands.

Gal Sport Betting

• A hand washing facility was provided by the entrance with a hand washing soap sanitizer of no date marks, manufactured by trade kings in Lusaka.

• Social distance of 1 meter was seen being observed in their operations.

• A good number of their customers were masking up. People without masks are sent away but during busy days they find their inside and this is because there could no one to stand by the entrance instruct customers wash hands and to send way those with no masks. The manager said this is due to limited number of workers.

Hungry Lion

• Workers and customers were masking up.

• At the entrance they have put a hand-free sanitizing station. It uses the foot to press washing facility and the chemicals comes out. Those customers who are not acquainted with the sanitizing station are either directed to the hand washing facility or were showed on how to use it.

• The chemical which they use in sanitizing station is Sterirub produced by the KemKlean.

• The customers were observing social distance. During busy days they close the doors and only allow one person to go in at a time to maintain social distance.

Infinix Techno

• No masks for both customers and workers.
• No hand washing facilities provided.
• The workers had only personal hand sanitizer (Hygienix).

Shoprite

• Both customers and workers were masking up.
• The D4S security are on duty on the entrance to make sure everyone sanitizes their hands and ensures that no one enters inside without masking up.
• Bacterojell is the chemical they use for sanitizing.
• There was no hand washing facility at entrance. The tap started to leak and they decide to remove it for replacement of the tap.

ABSA Bank

• The first team that visited ABSA bank was denied entry this is because the manager needed the identity cards for the team.
• In the afternoon around 14:30hours we made the arrangement to revisit the ABSA Bank. We met the public relation manager and delivered the information.
• The public relation manager made a complaint that he needs to see more visits from the Health officials to monitor the compliance as we need more compliance in the road to clean environment for the benefit of all.

“The problem is that they are seeing the pandemic to be normal, hence they do not care about what disinfectants they are using, label around them as well as materials in them as they just put them there for formalities,” he expressed.

The CEHF boss, however, applauded Absa banks, ZANACO, Standard Chartered Bank, Pep Stores, Shoprite, Auto world Stores in Livingstone for adhering to the strict measures in observing National Guidelines.

He said the team will continue to sensitize and educate the markets, schools, colleges, airport premises, bus stops and railway stations on the COVID-19 pandemic as well as gather data on compliance levels.

“We want to work with communities and together we can make a difference in stopping the pandemic from spreading and concerning the data collection, we will have briefing meeting of the Livingstone District and other Districts for the way forward,” he explained.