Dedza communities urged to enforce self-quarantine rules

By Sellah Singini – Mana.

Communities in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Kasumbu in Dedza have been urged to be vigilant in making sure that people who have tested positive for Coronavirus in the area are adhering to self-quarantine rules to avoid further spread of the virus.

The appeal has come following the failure of adhering to self-quarantine rules by one of the people who has tested positive of deadly virus in the area of Group Village Headman Madzumbi.

It has been reported that the person was denying his results though he has been tested thrice by different test sites and he was not on self-quarantine.

It was said that he has denied that health officials did not take samples of his family so as to be tested as well to an extent of threatening them with panga knives for being afraid that his business might be affected once people know that he has tested positive of the corona virus.

During a community engagement meeting which was organised by National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) with support from European Union (EU), District Environmental Health Officer (DEHO) for Dedza, Rudolf Banda said that people should make sure that people who have tested positive of the Coronavirus in the area are on self-quarantine to avoid spreading the virus.

“There are two Covid-19 cases at Madzumbi and one person was denying his results as well as refusing that his family members should be tested and he is not on self-quarantine. This was causing a big threat to community as this will result to the further spread of the virus,

“The person has been tested thrice, he was tested in Blantyre soon after arrival from South Africa and the results came positive. He was among a group of people who were recently repatriated from South Africa. He was immediately followed up when he came here in Dedza at his home village and samples were again taken and come out positive both at Dedza Hospital laboratory and Public Health Institute of Malawi (PHIM),” he explained.

Group Village Headman Madzumbi said he would use community policing to make sure that the person goes into quarantine and his family members get tested.

“It is sad to note that a person who has tested positive to corona virus is not adhering to self-quarantine rules as he is moving around in the community which is very bad as this will result into further spreading of the virus to the community members,” he said.

Dedza has so far registered six Covid-19 cases.

Mana/ss/ys/tha