Zambia has announced the reopening of school, bars and nightclubs as new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) begin to reduce.
President Edgar Lungu announced the phased reopening on Friday when he addressed the country’s parliament.
Addressing parliament in Lusaka, the country’s capital, Mr Lungu said schools, colleges and universities would now reopen between 14 and 23 September.
Only students in examination classes had been attending classes.
Mr Lungu said bars would partially open on a pilot basis while observing precautionary measures such as social distancing and sanitising of hands.
He said bars would operate from Fridays to Sundays from 18:00 to 23:00.
“In March, I ordered closure of bars in March to fight Covid-19. I have listened to the suffering of owners of bars and nightclubs have experienced due to closure…
“I, therefore, announce partial reopening of these places effective Friday,” he said.
Zambia has had 13,214 coronavirus cases since the first case was reported in March, with 300 deaths, according to the John Hopkins University.
In July, the country reported that 15 lawmakers and 11 members of staff at the Zambian parliament tested positive for COVID-19.
The revelation occurred days after the assembly suspended sittings because a lawmaker had died of the respiratory disease.
