Kampala 5th April 2020, coronavirus cases in Uganda have risen to 52. This was announced by the Ministry of Health following the testing of an additional 300 samples taken from people already under quarantine, of which four were found infected.
The coronavirus health challenge in Uganda seems to be coming under control following the Minister of Education’s recent announcement of the tentative program for the reopening of schools on 27th April 2020. As an insider and privy to up-to-date status reports and timely briefing from the national Coronavirus task force, the announcement could be an indication that containment directives are achieving results.
Government’s early containment initiatives like stay at home and night curfew measures, among others have helped flatten the curve by reducing the rate of virus transmission.
Unfortunately, some Ugandans are not taking the directives seriously by staying at home. Recent reports show many people are doing road runs and group exercises which could turn catastrophic in case one of the asymptomatic patients. More sensitization efforts are needed so that people stay at home or if they must leave, follow the guidelines on keeping a safe distance.
I take this opportunity to thank the Government specifically the President, Ministry of Health and our gallant front line medical doctors and all people involved in the fight. Also, the distribution of food to the people at risk of hunger during this lockdown is a welcome development. However, the government now needs to also engage the local council structures to guide the army around the slums and villages to facilitate fair distribution and rationing.
We need to work together to get the coronavirus under control.
The other pandemics, if you wish to call them so, have returned. Stories are that locusts are currently wreaking havoc in the east, and moving in swarms by the wind towards Soroti. This is bad news.
Locusts are known to eat everything in their path. And if they land on a farm, they eat everything which reduces crop yields and leads to famine in the districts they move. The good news though is that the government had already secure funding for managing the locusts invasion. I hope the budget is on standby and the response team is ready now that the locusts are not giving up on our pearl.
