Mozambique: Belatedly, Central Bank warns against coronavirus – AIM report

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Mozambique: Belatedly, Central Bank warns against coronavirus – AIM report

3:52 CAT | 15 Jun 2020

File photo: Lusa

The Bank of Mozambique has instructed all the country’s commercial banks and other credit institutions to ensure the disinfection of their premises, and a range of other measures to prevent bank workers and clients from possible contamination by the coronavirus that causes the Covid-19 respiratory disease.

This instruction from the central bank is dated 9 June, and appeared on the ban’s website on Thursday – more than two and a half months after the first Covid-19 case was diagnosed in Mozambique on 22 March.

The instruction says that all bank branches and ATMs must be disinfected, and soap and water must be available for clients to wash their hands. Limits must be placed on the number of clients who can be in a branch at any one time, and they must practice social distancing – there should be at least 1.5 metres between one client and the next. All bank premises should be well ventilated.

Surprisingly, there is no explicit mention of face masks, although the government has made the wearing of masks obligatory in all public places that might attract crowds.

The central bank also instructs the commercial banks “to ensure effective communication with their workers, clients and financial consumers to mitigate panic, heighten morale and provide essential communication for the continuity of essential functions, and the provision of financial services in a safe environment”.

The measures mentioned in the instruction “shall remain in force during the state of emergency and as far as is necessary to prevent and combat the Covid-19 pandemic”.

The state of emergency, due to expire on 30 June, was declared on 1 April, and renewed twice. But only now does the Bank of Mozambique deem it appropriate to issue instructions on protecting customers and staff from the pandemic.

Fortunately, some of the commercial banks have already had the good sense to take measures intended to ensure social distancing and protect their clients.

Source: AIM