Incumbent Malawian President, Lazarus Chakwera has announced the cancellation of Independence Day celebrations in the country.
In a televised address to the Malawian nation on Sunday, Chakwera said celebrations would risk the spread of the coronavirus.
On Saturday, the country recorded a rise of over 7% in cases in one day.
Also known as Republic Day, the day is celebrated annually on July 6 commemorating Malawi’s independence from Britain’s colonial grip in 1966.
In 2020, the celebration that was to be restricted to 20 000 citizens, has been brought to a halt due to the coronavirus pandemic with newly elected President, Lazarus Chakwera announcing an increase of 150 new cases in the country from 1 498 to 1 613.
The new confirmed coronavirus cases, 64% are local transmissions located in all three regions of the country.
Meanwhile, a small inauguration ceremony will still be held in Cobbe Barracks, Zomba but will only be limited to 100 people.
Chakwera says the money from the celebrations will instead be channelled towards the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 while urging citizens to strengthen hygiene measures.
In this video, Malawi’s new President Lazarus Chakwera promises to serve the people:
