Following the recently confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Yaounde, the Minister of Public Health, Manaouda Malachi, has set the records straight with respect to the organisation of funeral ceremonies in health units during the period of management of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The information is contained in a communiqué signed March 20, as cases of the coronavirus raised to 27. Following decisions that discourage public gatherings of more than 50 persons, Manaouda Malachi urged all morgue staff to act in compliance with the government’s dispositions in order to curb and limit the rapid spread of the pandemic.
Therefore, he called them to limit the total number of people to 15, ensure the respect of distance measures in the various fiery chapels, with regards to the reception capacity. Also, he calls for a reduction of said ceremonies to a maximum period of 15 minutes as well as, ensure, in consultation with the families, the immediate departure of the fatal cohort of the mortuary from the end of the ceremony.
According to Cameroon’s Minister of Public Health, the wild spread of the coronavirus in the capital city is due to the negligence and uncivil behaviour of citizens who do not put into practice the basic hygienic methods required by WHO and government to reduce the promulgation of the coronavirus. With this, he calls for more vigilance on the part of the denizens.
In a bid to lower the transmission of the deadly COVID-19, the Prime Minister, Joseph Dion Ngute,has enunciated a number of suggestions to be followed by the private sector in Cameroon. They, (private sector) will have to ensure the systematic sampling the temperatures of its staff before accessing different services, with the use of thermo flash, as they will put in place hand sanitisers in all structures opened to the public.
He furthered restricted the visits in public services and the constant mobility of people within administrative units and called for the respect of supplementary working hours for non-essential staff.
On his part, PM Dion Ngute said that, audiences in jurisdictions are maintained with regards to the 50 persons authorised per group, unlike trade with some countries within the CEMAC zone will not be disrupted amid measures put forth in connection to the coronavirus.
To this end, trans-border transportation will not pose any prejudice to the to the health check of drivers, as goods transportation within the CEMAN sub-region will not be interrupted during the application period of restrictive measures adopted to combat the spread of COVID-19.
Consequent to the closure of all learning institutions in the nation, Prof. Nalova Lyonga, Minister of Secondary Education, MINESEC, appealed to teachers in possession of good lessons to sign and transmit them to the Inspectorate General of Education or to the Secretary General of Education of the Ministry of Education via oyonadams@gmail.com, by March 28, 2020.
She holds that, teachers should endeavour to inform their respective Regional and Departmental Delegates once the lessons are sent to the Ministry. She begged that, “I invite you to encourage everyone, whom according to you, possess elaborate lessons to send them via electronic aforementioned address. Teachers whose lessons would be selected will be compensated. It is noteworthy that, the said lessons should cover the last halves of the academic programme.”
MTN Cameroon Suspends Payment Of Transaction Charges
In line with the fight against the new COVID-19, MTN Cameroon has announced the temporal suspension of the payment of fees on money transfers between MTN Mobile Money, MoMo, accounts that went operational Friday, March 20.
In the midst of the global spread of the coronavirus, MTN Cameroon banned the payment of charges for transfers that amounts up to FCFA 20,000, limited to three transactions per day and per account. This measure aimed at avoiding the spread of coronavirus will go functional for 30 days respectively, but, can be reviewed based on the evolution of the current health crisis.
“By suspending the payment of money transfer fees between Mobile Money accounts, seeks to provide in the fight against this coronavirus by reducing the use of cash as much as possible, and favouring distance payments,” the organisation maintained. To this, they highlighted that, “Mobile Money is a key element o the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a payment method that does not require the use of cash, a possible vector for spreading the virus. The use of Mobile Money may therefore contribute in limiting the spread of COVID-19.”
According to MTN Cameroon, this strategy goes a long way to facilitate distance payments; enable consumers overcome the constraints imposed by the measure limiting travels as well as the movement of people all in a bid to limit the proliferation of the pandemic. To them, companies and individuals can carry out transactions even while isolated and confined.
By Annie Babelle Odounlami in cameroon
