President Yoweri Museveni is expected to outline new measures to contain what is said to be a second COVID-19 wave that has hit the country.
His address comes days after the Ministry of Health sent out an alert warning of increasing admissions, deaths and infections.
Early this week, the Ministry of Health asked health workers to take extra precaution to avoid getting infected with COVID-19.
The warning comes as many health worker infections have been recorded during the second wave. The total number of infections recorded since the second wave began stands at 19.
Data from the health ministry shows that four infections and one death were recorded last week alone.
Senior health officials now say the last four weeks have seen a drastic change in the rate of infections. They say Uganda is now officially under a second wave of the pandemic.
While, during the first wave, it took the country 3-4 months to get to the full-blown pandemic, in the second wave; it has taken Uganda just days.
Dr. Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam, the World Health Organisation Country Representative says Uganda registered 256 positive cases of COVID-19 in the week starting April 25; a week later, on May 2, that figure rose to 411 and, by May 9 that figure shot to 475 cases. A week later, on May 16, cases registered nationwide were a whopping 1,060. The Ministry says there has been a particularly sharp rise in cases of COVID-19 in schools. This is the most worrying.
As of May 18, a total of 29 schools from 17 districts had recorded 803 cases and one death, according to Dr. Henry Mwebesa, the Director-General Health Services. He told the media at the Ministry of Health headquarters in Kampala on May 27 that the affected schools include ten nursing schools, eleven secondary schools, seven primary schools, one Primary Teachers College and other tertiary institution (Kyambogo University).
But Mwebesa said some schools were not reporting cases because of fear they will be closed. “That is not our objective; our objective is to go there, investigate and if we can isolate those who are sick, treat them and those who are not, are allowed to continue,” he said.
The districts that have reported the highest number of cases in the last 14 days are; Kampala, Wakiso, Gulu, Amuru, Moroto, Arua, Mbale, Masaka, Oyam and Kalungu. However, Mwebesa said, this does not mean that the other districts are not affected. Rather, he said, it could imply the above-mentioned districts have been vigilant in carrying out surveillance testing and reporting.
“This calls for vigilance and maximum responsibility from all of us to avoid being another statistic in this deadly pandemic,” Mwebesa said.