Uganda relaxes lockdown as it experiences rising numbers of Covid-19 cases

By; Ben Musanje

05^th May 2020

The country’s numbers of COVID-19 cases continues to rise and currently the number has reached 97 according to the ministry of Health Officials.

Truck drivers continue to be the source of the Pandemic in Uganda although out of the new cases two are from the community while six are truck drivers who were tested out of 2,061 samples.

Five of the truck drivers arrived from Malaba border post that is from Kenya while one was from Mutukula border point of entry that is from Tanzania.

One community case is a resident of Kyotera district while the other is a Ugandan truck driver from Mutukula. These were confirmed out of the 185 samples from the Rapid Assessment Survey that was launched a week ago.

So far, the total number of recoveries that have henceforth been discharged is 55. No fatalities have been registered.

This comes as President Yoweri Museveni relaxed on the lockdown. In his 13^th address last evening May 4, 2020 he said that cargo transportation must continue arguing that stopping them would have a very detrimental effect on the economy since they bring in “essential goods”.

The President, however, put guidelines such as restricting the number of occupants in the vehicle and mandatory testing of truck drivers as a way of keeping the spread of the virus at bay.

The President also added another 14 day extension of the lockdown, having been under lockdown for approximately 44 days now. However all these extensions and simple relaxations must follow the Standard Operating Procedures in place including compulsory wearing of masks while in public.

This time round the President opened the construction, hardware shops, wood and metal workshops, vehicle garages, restaurants, wholesalers and warehouses on top of the food markets that were left operational.