Coronavirus: Lusaka mayor shuns handshakes

The mayor of Zambia's capital Lusaka has banned handshakes in his house and replaced them with shoulder bumps in a bid to fight the coronavirus.

Zambia has not recorded any case of coronavirus with all the 24 cases that were investigated testing negative, according to Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya.

But Lusaka Mayor Miles Sampa believes awareness has to start from home in order to fight the spread of the virus.

"Shaking hands is a given traditionally in the streets of Lusaka. I am reminding them not to to it any more and use my tailor-made alternative greeting of shoulder bump," he told the BBC.

“The shoulder bump is derived from the NBA basketball games where likes of LeBron James and late Kobe Bryant would greet or use to congratulate each other when they scored."

He used to play basketball himself, as a player in the University of Zambia Pacers team.

The Zambian government has set up a $3m (£2.3m) emergency fund to enhance its preparedness for the virus.

The government will however not ban flights to and from China because that would promote xenophobia, according to the health minister.

He has further said Zambian students in China will not be repatriated because enough measures have been put in place to ensure their safety.