Fly Emirates has temporarily suspendered operations to Lusaka and Harare starting from March 20, 2020 to May, 20 2020 and has requested customers who booked with emirates to process refunds for their tickets through their local office.
This announcement comes after Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya confirmed at a press briefing on March 18, 2020 that a Zambian couple who traveled to France and landed back into the country using Fly Emirates tested positive to COVID-19 and have since been quarantined.
The Airline has since suspended its operations in Lusaka to monitor the situation closely as it looks forward to resuming normal operations when feasible. Other destinations suspended include Cairo, Tunis, Algiers, Khartoum as counter measures to contain the virus.
Fly Emirates Public Relations Consultant Gillian Langmead told the Zambian Business Times – ZBT in exclusive interview that in response to the outbreak of COVID-19, Emirates is taking extra steps to go above and beyond industry and regulatory requirements to ensure its customers health and comfort is provided.
“With the current threats from the spread of COVID-19 around the world, we wish to announce to our customers that we will be suspending operations for the next two months to allow us monitor the situation for the safety of our people. We apologise for the inconvenience caused,” She said.
Meanwhile, as at March 19, 2020, Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya disclosed at a media briefing that travelers who were on the plane which disembarked in Lusaka, Zambia with the affected persons on March 15, 2002 were 82 and are currently being followed up actively to ascertain risk of exposure while Eight close contacts to the affected are in self-quarantine and being tested for COVID-19.
The Minister further confirmed that about 29,992 travelers have been screened, with 2,258 being persons from high risk areas adding that among those from the high risk areas, 460 have been cleared under 14 days’ quarantine and watch while investigative alerts continue.
As an additional key to measures that government has put in place to prevent the COVID-19 from circulating across the country, Chitalu also announced a suspension of trading activities in all markets this weekend to allow for a thorough cleanup.
However, all citizens have been advised to exercise high levels of hygiene and comply with the preventive measures provided which are aimed at safeguarding the health and wellbeing of the Zambian public.
