Taskforce announces more covid measures
In the wake of a fourth Covid-19 wave threat; the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 has introduced additional precautionary measures, including tightening health checks at refugee camps.
This follows the emergence of a new variant known as Omicron or B.1.1.529, which has high multiple mutations and can weaken immunity despite vaccination.
In a press statement on Sunday, co-chairperson of the taskforce Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda said this is in line with the threat of importation of the new variant through global trade and travel.
Reads the statement in part: “With immediate effect, Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Dowa District should be managed technically as a point of entry for purposes of Covid-19 control. New Covid-19 testing measures at all points of entry will take effect from December 3. Covid-19 vaccine electronic certificate requirement will come into effect from December 10.”
To this effect, all arriving travellers of all nationalities, including Malawians, will be expected to show a valid electronic Covid-19 full vaccination certificate at the point of entry.
If people do not comply, she said, they will be pushed into
institutional quarantine for symptoms monitoring for 10 days at their cost.
All new arrivals to Dzaleka Refugee Camp will be laboratory tested for Covid-19 irrespective of the status of their symptoms, and all will continue to be kept in the existing quarantine bay for 14 days before being released to the main camp area, as is currently the practice.
The minister said all these new measures would remain in force until December 31 or as may be further advised depending on developments in the pandemic.
The task force has also maintained earlier set precautionary measures, including restriction for travel and maximum limitation on public gatherings since the country is at level 1, currently not classified as high-risk.
In a separate interview, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences professor of public health and epidemiology Adamson Muula said though the measures may appear to be excessive they are necessary.
He said: “One would hope that the vaccines will help if the country is to register Covid-19 cases from the Omicron. If that may not be the case, we will learn and it will allow us to formulate new vaccines.
“From scientific evidence, vaccines offer protection from severity of Covid-19 so vaccination must be taken seriously as should always be the case.”
On his part, Malawi University of Science and Technology head of Biological Sciences Department, Gama Bandawe, agreed with Muula and appealed to the nation to stop acting by fear.
“Unfortunately in Malawi we have the tendency to increase demand for vaccines when there is a threat of a new wave as is the case now, but we need to learn that even in the quiet days, vaccination is very important.”
