By ALICE NACHILEMBE
Serenje Town Council has closed down 20 bars and taverns that were found abrogating government’s directive of strictly adhering to Covid-19 health regulations.
Serenje Town Council Director of Works, Tenson Mfula who lead a combined team of Zambia Police Service and Council police officers, expressed shock at the low levels of compliance to the Covid-19 regulations measures.
Eng Mfula said the Local Authority was disappointed that bars and taverns had decided to go against the government’s directive to operate without strict adherence to Covid-19 measures.
He said that the current third wave of Covid-19 was lethal following the increase in the recorded number of related deaths as announced by the Ministry of Health.
Eng Mfula said despite the increase in Covid-19 related deaths, the owners of bars and taverns decided to ignore the government’s directive.
“This is just the beginning of this operation and it shall be extended to all the corners of Serenje District. There shall be no sacred cows in enforcing government’s directive,” he said.
The owners of bars and taverns who were found abrogating government’s directive have been summoned to appear before Public Health Department at the Civic Centre today 30th June, 2021 for sanctioning.
During a night compliance check of bars, taverns and night clubs, the Local Authority seized assorted brands of liquor approximately worthy Five Thousand Kwacha (K 5, 000.00).
Meanwhile, Senior Health Inspector Mr Ivo Jaliso has made an appeal to the owners of the bars and taverns to immediately begin complying with the government’s directive on Covid-19 as the pandemic was spreading at a faster rate thereby claiming a lot of lives.
Mr Jaliso said that the Council will relentlessly continue conducting random compliance checks on a daily basis in a bid to engage business entities and to ensure that there was compliance to the set regulations in an effort to combat the spread of Covid-19.
