President Edgar Lungu has appealed to bar and night club owners to be patient and not open bars, as the conditions for doing so are not yet favourable.

This is according to a statement issued by Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Isaac Chipampe, Tuesday.

Chipampe stated that President Lungu had received recommendations on the need to reopen bars and nightclubs, but that the numbers of COVID-19 positive cases had not yet dropped, which spelt a danger in the functions of nightclubs and bars.

“Yes the recommendations have been received but we need to be careful because the numbers have not dropped and this is the month that we were told could decide how the pandemic evolves,” President Lungu said.

He said there were also some sporting activities which had not yet been reopened.

“It is also important to note that it is not just bars and night clubs, we also need to reopen the airports that were closed as well as various sports. We look forward to a day when sports will be back.”

Chipampe emphasised that President Lungu would be guided by social- economical and health considerations before announcing the reopening.

The President asked owners of bars and nightclubs and their patrons to be more patient because the country had done well in streaming the spread of COVID-19 and it would be a disaster to take a decision that would push back the gains that had been made so far.

The President said citizens would be informed about the reopening of bars and nightclubs once conditions allowed.

And the President assured sports fans that sports activities would resume once the Ministry of Sports, in consultation with the Ministry of Health, write to assure that sports arenas are ready for action.