source photo: Anadolu Agency
42 deaths and 1,000 new coronavirus infections were reported in Uganda last Friday .
By Kabakura Jean Bosco Ceusi
The Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni announced tighter restrictions in the country following a worrying rise in Covid-19 infections and deaths when the country recorded 1000 new infections and 42 Covid-related deaths bringing the total death toll in Uganda to more than 400 since the beginning of the pandemic.
The Ugandan leader vowed to “stop the joke” of people violating the public health guidelines, known as the Standard Operating Procedures [SOP] as he had warned the population since March last year.
The new stringent measures include the public and private transport which is at complete standstill. since Friday. Only security, emergency and other essential service providers, including the police, firefighters and the military are allowed. This provision tightens restrictions already imposed a week ago, when cross-district travel was banned, schools closed and other public gatherings restricted, yet the number of deaths continued to rise.
The country had already been operating under a tight set of restrictions, including a curfew that started at 9pm to 5am, compulsory wearing of masks and social distance in public places. However, since people are not respecting the imposed curfew , its lenght has been extended throughout the country from 7pm to 5.30am.”
The Ugandan leader lampooned schools and other learning institutions which he accused of sitting on evidence of possible infections in schools. He had said the same thing last week when he ordered schools closed and to remain shut for the next 42 days.
The new restrictions mean that Uganda, initially seen as winning the war on Covid-19 and reporting fewer cases compared to those of neighbouring Kenya, now pays the prize for citizens who dropped their guard.