Minister of Health, Dr.Jonas Chanda says he is concerned and worried that despite the massive sensitisation messages on the need to adhere to the prescribed public health guidelines on COVID 19 some congregants are still attending church services and gatherings either without face masks, or wearing them incorrectly.
Dr. Chanda who is also Bwana Mkubwa Constituency Member of Parliament says he has also noted with grief that some church members are also not adhering to other set COVID 19 health guidelines among them physical distancing and hand hygiene.
Dr. Chanda who has visited selected churches in Ndola’s Mushili township and monitored adherence to COVID 19 public health guidelines, says the Church should NOT lose the guard on the set guidelines adding that members should be encouraged to wear face masks CORRECTLY and CONSISTENTLY in public.
Among the churches which the minister visited in Mushili include United Church of Zambia (UCZ) Bethel congregation and Anglican church. At both churches he also donated hundreds of face masks and hand sanitisers as one of the ways to enhance compliance levels among church members.
Dr. Chanda added that the Church, alongside Traditional leaders, should take the lead in the fight against the pandemic, further stating that the clergy should show leadership by making sure that members are encouraged to adhere to the set public health guidelines in order to avert further spread of the virus.
He also stresses that physical distancing should be observed and that choir members should consistently mask up even while singing because the Coronavirus can be transmitted easily when choir members are unmasked, potentially making churches into super spreader events.
The Minister has also implored the Church not to give up standing in the gap but continue praying for the nation and giving hope to the general public that, through prayer and strict adherence to the guidelines the pandemic will be defeated.
” Please be mindful of the fact that the Coronavirus is still with us and numbers keep rising everyday. Our people are also dying because of the pandemic and what should be established is that these are not just numbers, they are people we know. I want to implore the clergy to ensure that church members are encouraged to adhere to the guidelines,” Dr. Chanda said.
Dr. Chanda also took advantage of the occassion to remind the church to stand in the gap for the country before,during and after elections and see to it that peace prevails.
Dr. Chanda also donated K15 thousand and K10 thousand at the UCZ and Anglican Church, respectively, towards developmental programmes at the two congregations.
And Vicar General for Anglican Diocese of Central Zambia, Reverend Father, Stephen Panji said the church is there to ensure that things are moving in the right direction.
Rev.Panji emphasised that the clergy should be peace makers and not champions of chaos and hatred.
Meanwhile, Mushili UCZ Bethel congregation Minister in charge Reverend, Lameck Goma thanked Dr. Chanda for distributing face masks and hand sanitizer to the congregation.
Rev. Goma urged members at the congregation to be responsible wherenever they are in church and outside to avoid the spread of the pandemic.
Issued by:
Steve Nyendwa
Bwana Mkubwa Constituency Media Team, Ndola
