LUSAKA, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Cholera cases have now reached 2,000 in Zambia's capital Lusaka, health authorities said on Monday.

Stanslous Ngosa, Head of Communications and External Relations at Ministry of Health, said 42 people have since died since the outbreak of the waterborne disease last October.

He said cumulative cases were now close to 2,000, a situation that has forced authorities to come up with stringent measures to curb the rising cases.

The ministry, he said, has since banned large public gatherings such as weddings and musical, banned street vending until further notice while all markets should remain closed to facilitate for extensive cleanup concerts in a bid to contain the spread of cholera.

On Friday, President Edgar Lungu ordered the defense wings to get involved in curbing the further spread of the disease, a move that saw the soldiers conducting a cleanup exercise in the central business district and a sprawling flea market on Sunday.

The Zambian leader, who inspected the cleaning exercise, urged civic leaders in the city to stay vigilant and work hard to halt the further spread of the disease.

The waterborne disease, which initially broke out in two densely populated slums in the city, has since spread to low density areas.