No stand yet in Uganda over the new Covid variant ‘Omicron’

By Ben Musanje

29^th Nov 2021

The government has not yet announced any new measures at Entebbe International Airport and other border points to contain Omicron, the newly discovered Covid-19 variant from Southern Africa.

Countries like the US, EU and UK have started travel restrictions due to concerns that the new variant could be more infectious than the Delta variant that  sparked a rise in number of cases globally  this year. The Delta variant sparked the second wave of Covid-19 infections  mid-year in Uganda, resulting in an average of 1,000 cases daily and  at some 20 deaths every day.

Emmanuel Ainebyoona, the spokesperson for the ministry of Health says the government for now maintains the status quo of testing all incoming passengers at the airport at a cost of 30 US Dollars, about 110,000 shillings.

The Inspector General of Police, John Martin Okoth Ochola has asked members of the public to be vigilant over the new Coronavirus, that was detected in South Africa last week.

Police Spokesperson Fred Enanga says that the IGP wants the public to continue adhering to the Standard Operating Procedures put in place by the Ministry of Health to help control the spread of Covid.

He says that whereas some members of the public had relaxed after the reduction in infection rates with many of them not putting on face masks as well as disregarding social distance, the Covid-19 threat is still available.

Ochola however asked those going to villages for the festive season to also ensure they observe the Covid SOPs like washing of hands and wearing of face masks among others.

Six more new cases of the Omicron variant have been detected elsewhere in Scotland, Australia and Portugal among others taking the total to nine found in the UK so far.

The Scottish and Welsh first ministers have written to Boris Johnson calling for a tougher approach to travel restrictions.

Omicron has been classed as a “variant of concern”. Early evidence suggests it has a higher re-infection risk due to its mutation , World Health Organization (WHO) has said.

South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa, were the new Omicron coronavirus variant was first detected has condemned travel bans enacted against his country and its neighbours over the new coronavirus variant saying the action, was unjustified, and called for the bans to be urgently lifted.

The UK, EU and US are among those who have imposed travel bans.