Covid -19 cases spike jolts govt arms
With the country recording 781 Covid-19-cases in 24 hours on Wednesday, the highest since February 7 2021 as the third wave hits hard, various government departments are taking measures to curb the pandemic.
The measures include closing down some institutions and reducing operations at others.
Yesterday, the Judiciary closed its courtrooms including those at the Lilongwe Registry of the High Court for seven working days while Parliament, which is currently on recess, but allowing limited committee meetings with restrictions, confirmed it was also taking measures to battle the pandemic.
In a statement signed yesterday by High Court and Supreme Court, registrar Grace Gondwe she announced the Judiciary was closing Lilongwe offices for seven working days to fumigate the premises.
“The Malawi Judiciary would like to inform the general public that it has immediately closed its Lilongwe Court premises at Area 3 and Area 4 (High Court Civil Division) effective Thursday 15 July 2021. This is to allow personnel from the Ministry of Health to conduct fumigation of the premises as part of Covid-19 prevention,” reads part of the statement.
It further says normal operations will resume on July 23 2021 but in the meantime, all urgent matters will be handled using virtual platforms.
Parliament’s principal public relations officer Suzgo Khunga yesterday said the National Assembly was working closely with the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 to ensure the lawmakers, staff of Parliament and others were protected.
She said: “We already have and we are keenly following advice from the task force. We continue to appeal and encourage everyone to follow them.”
Among others staff and members of Parliament (MPs) regularly receive masks and sanitisers while the whole building, including offices and meeting rooms are disinfected every Friday.
Furthermore, employees are working in shifts with each person working two to three days a week to reduce numbers in the building.
Democratic Progressive Party parliamentarian for Nkhotakota North East Martha Chanjo Lunji died on Tuesday this week amid spiking of cases in the last 24 hours with the country yesterday recording and 785 new cases and 25 deaths.
Minister of Information Gospel Kazako was recently diagnosed with Covid-19, but said he was in good health.
The second wave earlier this year claimed the lives of two Cabinet ministers in a single day. Since the first cases of Covid-19 were reported in the country on April 2 2020, six members of Parliament have succumbed to Covid-19.
