President Museveni on COVID19, Closes Schools

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“Currently, the highest-burden districts like Kampala report an average of 500 cases per day followed by Wakiso and Gulu that have reported over 100 cases per day.

We currently have 277 severe patients and 37 critical patients. These are admitted at both private and public health centers. As of today, cumulative cases stand at 52,929. Reported confirmed deaths are at 374 and the recoveries are 43,487.

In this wave, the intensity of the severe and critical cases is higher than what we experienced in the first wave. In the beginning, it took about 4 months to get the numbers we are getting now.

The most affected age group in this wave are young people between 20 and 39 years old. When the problem started, the belief was that the group in trouble were the constituents of Gidudu, the Member of Parliament of the aged.

This situation is expected to further escalate as a result of reluctance by the population to follow the SOPs and my directives. Last year, I sent 15 million children home and we didn’t hear many infections in children. Now, schools have become an epicenter for the virus. There is an increased number of clusters of infections in schools since March 2021.

The people in school now are like 10% of the total school population. The logic was that they have enough space and can social distance. The government together with the private sector instituted mandatory PCR testing at the airport for travelers from high-risk countries.

There is general laxity in the response in many districts resulting in increased transmission. I am informed that most of the district taskforces are not meeting regularly to mitigate the problem.

The government is committed to vaccinating all eligible Ugandans starting with the priority groups. We are making efforts to secure additional vaccines to cover all the targeted groups.

All schools and institutions of higher learning to close for 42 days effective 8 AM 7th June 2021. All teachers are to be fully vaccinated before they are accepted in schools.

Communal prayers in mosques, churches, and stadiums are suspended for 42 days.

Factory activities, construction activities, shopping malls, and supermarkets can continue while following the SOPs. We were debating about these shopping malls but I decided to give them one week.

Travel from category A countries remains suspended except for returning Ugandans.

Agricultural activities should continue. Fortunately, these do not encourage crowding.

Marriage ceremonies, parties, and all other social ceremonies are only allowed with a maximum of 20 people under strict observance of SOPs. House parties are strictly banned and these will be enforced without fail.

Weekly non-food markets are suspended for 42 days throughout the country. Also suspended for 42 days are the monthly cattle auction markets.

All public transport between and across districts is suspended for 42 days effective 10th June 2021. This is to allow our children to go home, otherwise, I should have said immediately.

Museveni: All inter-district travel is banned for 42 days except for cargo trucks and travel within the Kampala Metropolitan, Kampala-Wakiso, and Kampala-Mukono.

Bars, discos, music shows, cinemas, and concerts remain closed. Sports events will continue with strict observance of SOPs without spectators.

All public places are directed to maintain strict hygiene, social distancing, and use of face masks all the time. People should be encouraged to work from home and heads of offices should organize a 30% work attendance for 42 days.

Private vehicles can move but with only 3 people, including the driver. They are also exempted from inter-district movement.

Ambulances, security vehicles, and garbage collection vehicles are allowed to operate normally.

If you want to get drunk, go buy the beers and drink them from home. Why do you want to gather?

Curfew shall remain from 9 PM to 5:30 AM except for cargo trucks. Any emergencies during curfew will be health-related and cleared with security on a case-by-case basis.” said President Museveni in a presser yesterday.