Covid-19:: NGO calls on government to declare state of emergency in Mozambique

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Covid-19:: NGO calls on government to declare state of emergency in Mozambique

2:39 CAT | 19 Mar 2020

“The measures announced by the President of the Republic, Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, to deal with the emergence of the coronavirus in Mozambique, are manifestly insignificant given the scale of the threat in the region and put Mozambican families at risk,” reads a communique issued by the Mozambican NGO Centre of Public Integrity (CIP). Please read the full report below or click HERE to read/download the full original text in Portuguese.:

Government measures are insignificant and put Mozambican families at risk

The measures announced by the President of the Republic, Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, to deal with the emergence of the coronavirus in Mozambique, are manifestly insignificant given the scale of the threat in the region and put Mozambican families at risk

As of Thursday, March 19, 2010, no case of COVID-19 has been tested positive in Mozambique, making the country a special case in the region. At least four countries with which Mozambique shares borders have confirmed cases of infection by COVID-19, namely South Africa – which has more than a hundred confirmed cases – eSwatini, Zambia and Zimbabwe ( A British tourist who visited Zimbabwe on his return to his country tested positive for COVID-19. Information available at https://www.aa.com.tr/…/zimbabwe-declares-coronavi-…/1769900 (accessed 03/19/2020, at 10:34 am) )

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This situation shows that it is only a matter of time for COVID-19 cases to be detected in Mozambique, hence the need for the Government to take more consistent preventive measures.

Countries in the region with confirmed cases of COVID-19 and [some] where there are no confirmed cases, such as Angola, are taking more consistent measures to protect their citizens.

Such measures include a ban on the entry of foreign citizens from the most affected countries.. Angola, for instance, has imposed a travel ban on citizens from China, South Korea, Italy, Iran, Nigeria Egypt and Algeria.

Many countries in the region are closing all schools to protect children, who by their nature cannot strictly comply with prevention rules as avoiding contact with each other and with metallic surfaces.

Therefore, CIP recommends that the Government reinforces the preventive measures announced by the President of the Republic and [further] ensure compliance, adopting the following measures of an immediate nature:

– Declare a state of national emergency under the Constitution of the Republic to allow measures taken in this area to have the force of law and , therefore bind all the citizens;

– Prohibit from entering the country foreign and non-resident citizens coming from the most affected countries;

– Close all schools, for at least two weeks, while monitoring the status of the evolution of infections;

– Restrictgatherings to a maximum of 100 people, as has been international practice, even in countries with no confirmed cases;

– End the home quarantine by imposing a mandatory quarantine in health units prepared for the purpose to all travellers from countries with confirmed cases of COVID-19;

– Adopt exceptional measures to inspect urban public transport, to prevent and combat cases of overcrowding that promote the spread of infections;

– Adopt measures to inspect places of usual concentration of crowds such as places of worship, restaurants and eaters places of recreation, in order to prevent the spread of the virus;

– Ensure the availability of water in public places with high movement of people to minimise the risks of spreading the virus;

– Conduct mandatory and free testing, in health facilities, for all the people with flu symptoms.

Source: CIP /Magazine CRV