President calls for compliance with preventative measures to continue despite end of state of emergency

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President calls for compliance with preventative measures to continue despite end of state of emergency

11:51 CAT | 30 Jul 2020

Photo: Notícias

The next steps will be announced in an address to the nation within a few days, Notícias reports today.

The preventative measures in force are still in place, said the Head of State, addressing the nation yesterday from the city of Tete.

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi yesterday called for Covid-19 preventative measures to continue to be enforced even after the end of the state of emergency, which has already been extended three times.

“All the measures currently in force must continue to be followed with the same soul and vigour as always,” Filipe Nyusi said in an address to the nation on the last day of the state of emergency – in force since April 1 and extended three times consecutively, the maximum provided for by the Mozambican constitution.

The Mozambican head of state said that he would send a report to parliament on Thursday, after which strategies would be decided upon and decisions taken. These would then be made public in another address to the nation.

“In the meantime, we call on everyone to value everything we have achieved in these 120 days. Everything we have achieved is priceless: lives were saved,” President Nyusi said.

The president also called on Mozambicans to invent a “new way of living in society”, adding that the country could not “falter” in preventative measures.

“The measures adopted and the collaboration of all helped to mitigate the speed of spread of the disease. In this way, we managed to reduce any pressure on the health system,” President Nyusi noted, highlighting the number of cases in neighbouring countries, especially South Africa, which accounts for half the cases registered on the continent (more than 459,000).

“The much-desired resumption of activities will be conducted in a phased manner, and with criteria directed within each sector,” he declared.

Restrictions include limitations on gatherings, a ban on entertainment events and spaces and the mandatory use of face masks.

In the last extension of the state of emergency, on June 28, Filipe Nyusi announced the gradual easing of some restrictions, such as the authorisation of international flights with selected countries (not specified), the increase of the actual labour force working in shifts in public and private institutions from one third to an amount not exceeding half, and the reopening of museums and galleries.

President Nyusi also used the occasion to announce the phased reopening of face-to-face classes, which is still without a definitive date and dependent on the creation of hygiene conditions to prevent Covid-19.

Since the announcement of the first case, on March 22, Mozambique has recorded a total of 1,748 cases of Covid-19, with 11 fatalities and 616 recovered. The country has carried out 55,211 tests of suspected cases, and tracked more than 1.5 million people.

Source: Lusa / Noticias