Zambia Police (ZP) has established patrol task forces in districts in order to enforce COVID-19 health measures.
Speaking during the Lusaka Star Magazine Radio Show, ZP Spokesperson Godfrey Chibali said the teams are composed of departments such as the Zambian Police Service, the department of Health officials, the Local authorities and other stakeholders.
Mr. Chibali said the problem with enforcing the COVID-19 measures usually comes from people operating bars and night clubs and defying curfew orders.
We’ll continued on that pace. More especially during the weekends you’ll be seeing us together with the principle enforcers doing these joint operations in making sure people comply,
he said.
And Principle Traffic Officer in Charge of Road Safety and Awareness Yorum Phiri said passengers on buses who do not adhere to COVID-19 measures will be removed from the vehicles.
Mr. Phiri said government is trying to be fair in ensuring that citizens are appropriately educated about the virus and the preventive measures before enforcing strict penalty when one fails to adhere to the measures.
We have a lot of people in prison and if we enforce the K750 penalty again then a lot of people will end up in prison. This is while government is trying to decongest the prison. This is where we have a dilemma,
he said.
Mr. Phiri added that it is imperative for busses to resume the disinfecting of seats as often as possible in order to curb transmission of the virus.