Coronavirus: Malawi Declares State of Disaster

Malawian President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika on Friday declared the country a state of disaster in order to prevent the deadly Coronavirus ravaging the nation.

President Mutharika, in a national address made at Sanjika Palace, effected various interventions and measures that citizens need to comply for the country to successfully stop the disease in its tracks.

Among a raft of measures, the President directed that:

1. All schools, both public and private be closed by Monday March 23.

2. Public gatherings be restricted to less than 100 people, be it weddings, churches, funerals or government gatherings.

3. Hosting of international meetings and issuance of visa to citizens of countries highly affected by Coronavirus have been suspended.

The President said that while realizing that some of the interventions being implemented have a negative bearing on people’s rights, he urged citizens “to comply for the national good.”

The President called on people to stop handshakes and maintain a social distance. He also discouraged myths about Coronavirus that black people are immune to the disease.