MUYANI SHINJABALE Writes
TWENTY-FIVE people in Ndola were at the weekend apprehended for venturing into bars during the lockdown while 10 bars have been shut.
The Ndola City Council in the company of state police conducted an operation to clamp down on people and premises flouting regulations regarding to COVID-19 preventive measures.
Council Public Relations Manager, Tilyenji Mwanza, said the operation was conducted in various areas of the city including townships.
The 25 patrons were found drinking beer in bars and were bundled in vehicles and whisked away to police stations.
As a result, the local authority has urged members of the public not to relax in observing COVID-19 preventive measures in order to curb escalating pandemic levels.
The council also carried out a survey to ascertain the compliance levels in the city.
Ndola Deputy Mayor, Kennedy Kasaba, and Town Clerk, Wisdom Bwalya, who led a team of officials noted that many public individuals and facilities were not observing health guidelines of handwashing and sanitizing as well as mask wearing.
Ms Mwanza said the local authority was disappointed with the take away outlets as well as chain store operators for relaxing the set guidelines on shoppers or patrons.
She, therefore, issued a stern warning that any shop that would allow its employees or shoppers into premises without masks risked being closedown.
Ms Mwanza also stated that any public facility operating without hand wash basins and soap or hand sanitizer would equally be closed.
She reminded all food places to ensure that dinners wore masks as they waited for their meals as well as observed social distancing.
“We would like to remind all eating places that do not have liquor licenses not to allow dinners to consume alcohol from their premises,” she said.
She noted that residents were buying take away alcohol and consuming it in unlicensed premises.
