By Kabuye Ronald
Uganda’s President Yoweri T. Kaguta Museveni has maintained lock down on concerts, bars, dico and cinema halls in his address to the nation in regards to Covid 19 situation.
“Concerts, disco halls, performing artists and beaches, these tend to congregate large numbers and are difficult to control. With the level of vaccination still low, I direct that these remain closed until at least the 4.8 million priority population is vaccinated.
Bars are a high risk area where individuals have no sobriety to observe the SOPs. They will be considered for re-opening when the 4.8 million priority population is vaccinated.
Cinemas and Bibanda (Local Cinema Halls), These should remain closed as the local cinema halls are areas of immense crowding and mostly have poor aeration and are designed to have artificial ventilation systems.” Said President Museveni
The president also indicated that primary and secondary schools will open in January next year when vaccination of teachers, non- teaching staff, 330,000 students aged 18 years and above, plus all the other priority population which will make up atleast 4.8 million vaccination people.
“Reopening of schools: Infections in children below 18 years are often mild and they recover quickly. However, many of the 15 million learners are day scholars who once infected, go back home and infect their parents and grandparents that may subsequently die.
This was observed during the second wave.To avoid a similar scenario, the National Task Force, on several occasions considered conditions for safe re-opening of schools which included; vaccination of teachers, non- teaching staff, 330,000 students aged 18 years and above, plus all the other priority population, This was in addition to the rate of transmission in the country.
To-date, out of the targeted 550,000 teachers, 269,945 have already received the 1 st dose of vaccination while 96,653 have received the second dose. This leaves a total of 280,055 not yet vaccinated at all.” Said Museveni
The president also maintained Curfew time at 7pm and 6pm for Boda bodas
“Restriction of movement of persons at the night time is key to the enforcement of other preventive health measures. Curfew remains at 7:00pm – 5:30am. Boda bodas should stop movement at 6:00pm.”
He also ordered the release of Boda bodas that were arrested for violating covid 19 guidelines but only for the first offenders. He committed that cabinet will fast track the amendment of the Public health Act to include on spot and court fines to Pandemic guideline offenders.
President museveni also indicated that since his last address on the 30 th of July 2021, theCOVID-19 transmission rates in the country have continued to decline. Despite this, some districts continue to show higher transmission rates and are considered hotspot districts. He said the persistent transmission is in t 9 districts that’s: Kampala, Kalungu, Kabale, Kumi, Soroti, Tororo, Gulu, Nwoya and Yumbe.
The daily average number of confirmed cases over the last one month has declined and stabilized at 124 cases countrywide, from an average of 1,445 cases at the peak of the second wave in June 2021. Similarly, the daily average number of deaths has declined to 6 from 57 deaths at the height of the peak of the second wave.
As of 22nd September 2021, the country had registered 122,502 Confirmed cases and 3,135 deaths. Additionally, the current admissions stand at 340 in both public and private facilities (272 in public, 66 in prisons and only 2 in the private facilities), Of whom 144 (38%) are in the severe and critical category
