President Yoweri T. Museveni. Photo/Courtesy.
Uganda’s President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Sunday re-imposed a strict lockdown to Churches to help beat back a surge in COVID-19 cases in the East African country.
The new measures, which will be effective from 7th June, 2021, also include the closure of all learning institutions, the suspension of public transport between and across districts, the shutdown of weekly open markets, and the suspension of travel to Category A countries, except for returning Ugandans.
Mr Museveni said most of the new restrictions, would be implemented for 42 days.
“Communal prayers in Mosques, Churches or in Stadia and other open-air, venues are suspended for 42 days,” he said. “Online prayers are encouraged.”
Mr Museveni explained that an assessment of the impact of the new directives will help government decide whether to ease or prolong them.
As this website reported earlier, officials imposed one of Africa’s solid lockdowns at the beginning of the pandemic more than a year ago, but it was bit by bit lifted as cases slowed to a trickle.
Last month however infections started to spike and new cases, particularly among younger people, have surged, fuelling fears that the country could slip into an out-of-control second wave.
On 4th June 2021, the country registered the highest number of cases in a single day; 1,259 cases out of 7,424 tests done (17% Positivity Rate). “There has been an up surge incase patients since end March 2021 following a 3-month period (January, February, March2021) of controlling the epidemic,” Mr Museveni added in his national address on COVID-19.
Mr Museveni said marriage ceremonies, parties, and all other social gatherings are only allowed with a maximum of 20 people under strict observance of SOPs. He said the number of persons at burials, vigils and funerals should not exceed 20 people.
The Head of State said he was concerned the jump in cases would “exhaust the available bed space and oxygen supply in hospitals unless we constitute urgent public health measures”.
“In this wave the intensity of severe and critically ill COVID-19 patients and death is higher than what we experienced in the first wave of the pandemic,” he said.
Meanwhile, Uganda vaccination rollout efforts have been hampered by the global vaccine shortages and amplified by resurgence of COVID-19 in India since February 2021.
This situation in India, given its large population, delayed the global vaccine delivery commitments to countries on time. Mr Museveni said his government is making all attempts to ensure that “we secure additional doses to cover all the targeted groups.”
“Uganda is expecting to receive additional 175,000 doses of the vaccine through the COVAX Facility this week. In addition, Government will secure 300,000 doses of Sinovac vaccine donated by our friends, the Chinese Government,” he said.
