Covid-19: Cabo Delgado businesspeople are concerned

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Covid-19: Cabo Delgado businesspeople are concerned

1:47 CAT | 04 Jun 2020

One of Pemba's disinfection tunnels, adapted for hand washing. [Photo: DW]

“Business has gone down, we cannot hide the fact.” Mozambique has been in a state of emergency for more than two months, and many companies are resenting the restrictions put in place to curb the spread of Covid-19.

The number of Covid-19 cases in Cabo Delgado province is steadily increasing, and the authorities are stepping up preventive measures. The municipality of Pemba, for example, has repurpose its disinfection tunnels into hand-washing booths, after health authorities warned that there were certain risks associated with their use.

“Here we have the first tunnel, already adapted with soap, water and hand-drying facilities,” Mayor of Pemba Florete Mutarua said as he announced the change-over this week.

Pemba residents applauded the initiative. “With the use of tunnels, I, as a citizen of Pemba, can continue to safeguard my health,” one told DW Africa.

Cabo Delgado is the epicentre of the Covid-19 pandemic in Mozambique, having already registered 146 infections out of a total 316 positive cases in the country. On Monday, local health officials warned that, if the trend of new infections continues at the current rate, the province may be about to enter the community transmission phase.

Cdbpemba — *Movement constrained at Pemba airport*

Business concerns

Businesspeople tell DW that the preventative measures imposed by the state of emergency are reducing turnover, with the hotel, tourism and car rental services are among the worst hit

Commercial flights at Pemba airport, which used to be daily, are now down to about three flights a week, making the car rental business at the airport unsustainable.

Car rental operative Fernando Jorge says that, before Covid-19, he had customers for his entire fleet of vehicles, but today, the situation is different.

“The frequency of car rental at our company has not been the same as in the past. Now, it is one rental every other day.”

At the agency where Renato Abreu works, the fail in takings has meant some workers were dismissed. “Everything has ground to a halt,” he comments.

Tourism is also stagnant

Tourism has not been spared, either. Although the province has enormous tourist potential, with its Quirimbas archipelago, the São João Baptista Fortress on the island of Ibo, or Pemba’s famous Wimbe beach, fear of the coronavirus speaks louder, and the tourist resorts are nearly empty.

Another factor is the armed attacks plaguing the province since 2017.

Supermarkets are also feeling the constraints imposed by the new coronavirus. Charles Becape, manager of one of the largest in Pemba, says sales are down by around 30%.

“The business is down, we cannot hide it … We are feeling it badly, but we’re not about to give up. We are doing everything we can to help the people of Pemba,” he tells DW Africa.

In fact, many citizens are anxious to see the end of the state of emergency.

The President Filipe Nyusi said recently that these weeks are crucial to assessing whether or not there will be a relaxation of preventive measures, but many citizens are still breaking the rules, with overcrowding in public transport and people virtually on top of each other in many public spaces. The authorities have promised a tough hand to enforce the regulations.

Source: Deutsche Welle