By Mukembo Wilfred
Journalists through various umbrella entities have cautioned the public against the new corona virus variant strain that has invaded Africa from the United Kingdom (UK).
The variant strain virus whose transmission according to the UK scientists is faster than its predecessor has been reported in South Africa and Nigeria, making them the two first African nations with the deadly virus.
The Uganda Journalists Association (UJA) president Mathias Rukundo noted that the new virus was very dangerous, urging the public to observe the measures set out by the scientists to prevent it.
“It is un fortunate that government officials have failed to observe their own standard operating proceedures”.
Rukundo was speaking during a joint press conference with other media associations which included among others,the Entertainment Journalists Association Uganda (EJAU) against corona virus from UJA offices in Kawempe on Wednesday 23rd.
The main journalist’s body president cautioned the field journalists from violation of the anti-virus measures, because it was harmful for their health.
He also used the same meeting to reject an orchestrated registration of journalists by the government’s Media Council in order to cover elections.
“They extended the registration up to 31st of December 2020 due to the pressure that we had put on them through our petition, they will not succeed because the Council is not well composed according to the law,” Rukundo remarked.
The Council had set 21st December of this year for accreditation of all journalists including foreigners if they were to be granted access to the 14th January 2021 elections information.
The entertainment Journalists body EJAU interim president Herbert Kyewalyanga popularly known as Herbie- Kay also a virus survivor used the same occasion to warn the public against the virus which he said has got no specific cure yet.
“I contracted the virus in June this year and isolated at Mulago Hospital for treatment, it was not easy but I finally got well”
Herbie-Kay urged the public to stay away from christmas parties with strangers since it isa gateway to the virus spread.
He noted that although the year which had started as “twenny twenny” had ended up as twenty terrible due to the effects of the virus, there was still room for improvement if everyone adhered to the measures in place.
The entertainment journalist’s leader encouraged the population to have the festival fun from their sitting rooms since they had made enough arrangements for themselves to find joy.
They expressed commitment to work with UJA as an umbrella body for all journalists associations to advance the media practitioner’s causes in the Country.
