Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi on Wednesday extended the state of emergency by a month as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases rose to 76.
Nyusi said following consultations and after assessing the situation on the ground he has decided to extend the state of emergency so that it now ends on 30 May instead of the initially gazetted 30 April.
“As a way of guaranteeing the well-being of Mozambicans and preventing the pandemic from expanding across the country, I have decided to extend the State of Emergency until 30 May,” Nyusi said in a televised address.
He applauded most Mozambicans for heeding the stay-at-home call by the government.
“But the number of people leaving home looking for non-essential services has increased. There are also parents and guardians who do not control their children, allowing them to be on the street. On these aspects, I call for greater awareness of parents about the pandemic,” Nyusi said.
He said the next 30 days would be crucial and would see the government further enforcing compliance measures.
“We need to do a lot more to eliminate the sources of contamination, mainly because there are people who continue to make trips that are not of extreme need,” he said.
He added: “As we make this decision, we have the notion that more difficult days are ahead and we need to protect Mozambicans.”
CM/jn/APA