The Lilongwe City Council has put on lockdown the Area 9 compound where three people tested positive for Covid-19.
In a statement today, the council said the Lilongwe District Health Office, the Malawi Police Service and Area 9 community members met on Friday where it was agreed that the compound should be on lockdown.
“Since all 3 confirmed cases are in one compound, only that compound will for now be on lockdown and the DHO will ensure that all protocols are strictly being followed,” the council said.
On Thursday, President Peter Mutharika said a woman, her relative and their maid had tested positive for the coronavirus.
Head of the compound Rafik Abbu told the local media that 12 people, including maids, were living in his compound at the time of the diagnosis.
According to Abbu, the woman who tested positive is his wife, the second person is his son and the other woman is the wife of his houseboy.
He also confirmed that they are all in isolation in the compound.
“We have been indoors and we are following all instructions by the Community Health Sciences Unit (CHSU). All along, my wife and I have been on quarantine. When this was happening, we had already been in self-isolation for 17 days,” Abbu said.
Abbu and his wife returned from India on March 8 and were advised to self-quarantine for 14 days but later they showed symptoms of Covid-19.
On March 22, the woman was tested for coronavirus and the results came out negative. However, she tested positive after another test this week.
Meanwhile, the Lilongwe City Council has urged all residents of the area to cut out on unnecessary travel and stay in their homes.
The council has also asked residents to religiously abide by any guidance and restrictions that the Government of Malawi may issue from time to time.
“We all have a duty to create a better, safer and healthier Lilongwe for everyone,” the council said.
That’s too late and unnecessary lockdown why locking area 9 insteady the who country long time ago. This will help nothing at all