Lockdowns have been adopted widely by different countries to contain the spread of COVID-19 and reduce pressure on health systems. When Malawi announced a 21-day lockdown, the public protested, and a court injunction stopped the lockdown. Why were Malawians protesting to measures aimed at keeping them safe from the pandemic? The purpose of this article is to describe how the fear of economic impacts of COVID- 19 resulted in the public protesting the lockdown. Using the results from public opinion surveys and mainstream media as a methodological approach to address the question, it is found that Malawians were more concerned about their livelihoods and survival during the lockdown than about the health aspect. The article argues that the government needs to consider people's socio-economic conditions and survivability in coming up with measures to control the pandemic. With high levels of poverty and most people living hand-to-mou