By Charles Tembo
The Ndola City Council has instructed 15 bars and night clubs to close immediately for abrogating the presidential directive on COVID-19 guidelines.
This follows the abrogation of operating as well as other public health code violations.
The Presidential Directive states that bars, taverns and night clubs should restrict their operations to between 18:00 hours to 23:00 hours on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays as one of the ways to prevent the spread of Corona virus (COVID-19).
But in Ndola, it is business as usual despite the Copperbelt Province becoming the epicenter of COVID-19 in Zambia.
NCC Assistant Public Relations Officer Waluka Mwaekwa said a team of health inspectors visited bars and night clubs which they found operating on full capacity.
“The inspectorate team this week visited various locations including Lubuto West and Old Twapia markets were they cautioned 15 bar and night club owners as part of the ongoing compliance spot checks for COVID-19 preventive guidelines. The bars and night clubs that were cautioned were found fully operational in the early hours of the day coupled with minimum to no compliance to the COVID- 19 prevention guidelines,” she said.
She said the bars and nightclubs have been instructed to close immediately.
Mwaekwa said the local authority is disappointed that people are still ignoring the preventive guidelines.
She said the Council is disappointed that many people are still ignoring the COVID-19 preventive guideless in spite of the massive sensitization.
Ms Mwaekwa said the Council would like to urge the public to take personal responsibility for their health.
