The country’s major security agencies, the Malawi Police Service (MPS) and Malawi Defense Force (MDF), have pledged to heighten security measures and enforce the 21-day lockdown effective midnight of Saturday.

President Peter Mutharika announced that the country will implement a 21-day lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus in the country and will end on May 9.

Speaking at a joint news conference in Lilongwe, MPS Acting Inspector General, Duncan Mwapasa and MDF Commander, General Peter Namathanga, said the security agencies will act in accordance with the law.

The security agencies have also appealed to people in the country to cooperate with the security authorities during the lockdown.

MDF Commander said: “We will deploy officers to monitor and enforce the compliance on precautionary measures.”

He highlighted that “lockdown simply means stay at home and any act that contravenes the lockdown measures is punishable by the law”.

He further said MDF will act in its complementary law enforcement in accordance to section 160 (1) of the republican constitution.

On his part Acting Inspector General of Police said there will be heavy presence of police officers on the roads and tight security in all the boarders.

Meanwhile the country has registered 16 cases of COVID-19 with two deaths recorded.