NEW CASES OF COVID-19 IN UGANDA

The Ministry of Health has today Monday confirmed 21 new cases of COVID-19 in Uganda bringing the total number of cases in the country to 248.

According to the statement issued by Dr Henry Mwebesa, the Director General Health Services in the Ministry of Health, all the new cases are Ugandan nationals from Elegu, Mutukula and Malaba points of entry.

“18th May 2020, the Ministry of Health confirms twenty-one (21) new COVID-19 positive cases from 1,071 samples that were tested from various points of entry on 17th May 2020 (yesterday Sunday). The 21 confirmed cases are Ugandan nationals; 17 from Elegu point of entry, 3 from Mutukula point of entry and 1 from Malaba point of entry,” said Dr Mwebesa in a statement on Monday.

In the same vein, Dr Mwebesa said that the Ministry of Health has noted fake results being communicated by “malicious people” via false Ministry of Health social media page stating that 105 truck drivers had tested positive for COVID-19.

“The Ministry of Health would like to inform the general public that COVID-19 results were not released yesterday,” Dr Mwebesa announced.

Following presidential directives that only COVID-19 negative truck drivers should be allowed to enter Uganda, samples of truck drivers had not been sorted appropriately and divided between Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) and National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS) by laboratory teams for quick turnaround time.

Therefore, testing of samples at National Health Laboratory Services began at 7:30pm on Sunday hence delaying results.

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Uganda’s Cabinet is this Monday meeting at State House Entebbe to determine the way forward as the second round of the lockdown comes to an end.

Uganda has been on a lockdown for almost two months as part of the measures aimed at preventing further spread of Coronavirus.

The meeting will scrutinize reports from the field regarding community transmissions to determine the level of infections in the countryside.

The Cabinet will also discuss steps taken by government to block truck drivers from spreading the novel virus in the country.

Dictator Yoweri Museveni this past Friday directed that truck drivers must carry a ‘negative test result certificate’ from a joint team of medical personnel from the region before being allowed to enter Uganda.

Ugandans who are struggling to survive due to the lockdown of the economy have since piled pressure on the executive to allow them return to work.

They further argue that COVID-19 is being carried to Uganda by truck drivers whose movement must be controlled.

Dictator Yoweri Museveni will today decide whether to extend the lockdown or open up the economy.

However, according to a confidential ‘schematic representation of the phased criteria for lifting lockdown’ across sectors handed to Dictator Yoweri Museveni recently, health experts advised the “opening of various sectors should be done in an orderly way.”

Dictator Yoweri Museveni was told to start with opening of sectors with “most critical employees.”

Phase one of the reopening of the lockdown targets the sector with the “highest economic impact (contribution to the economy) and lowest risks of transmission based on the nature of the workplace e.g. low level of congregate activities and ability to institute physical distancing of at least two meters at the workplace.”

Phase two targets sectors with the “lowest risk of transmission and ability to institute prevention measures (especially for the most vulnerable groups that live hand-to-mouth and that would be the hardest-hit by prolonged lockdown.”

These include shops, markets and salons among others.

Health experts further told Dictator Yoweri Museveni that schools and universities should also be prioritized given the “potential social and economic impact and could be included under phase two or three depending on how quickly the Standard Operating Procedures” are fully deployed for safety.”

They said the “deployment of virtual and blended learning should be encouraged as and when appropriate.”

Phase three will see sectors with the “high economic impact but high risk” being reopened.

At this stage, employers will be mobilised to “prioritize quickly making the workplace safer for the risk setting of high economic impact through SOPs and deploying prevention tools including physical distancing, hand hygiene, temperature monitoring, use of masks etc.”

Phase four will include “high risk congregate settings with the lowest economic impact” being reopened.

Officials said “SOPs should be developed and deployed” at stage four, adding, “Virtual work and meetings should be encouraged across the board for levels (1-4) and employees who 60 years and above should be protected and allowed to work at home as much as possible.”

Threat to the Elderly

Dictator Yoweri Museveni is worried that allowing free movement of persons especially by public transport could expose the elderly thus overwhelming public health facilities as is the case with Tanzania.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says older adults are at a significantly increased risk of severe disease following infection from COVID-19.

95% of these COVID-19 deaths occurred in those older than 60 years. More than 50% of all deaths were people aged 80 years or older.

“8 out of 10 deaths are occurring in individuals with at least one underlying comorbidity, in particular those with cardiovascular diseases/hypertension and diabetes, but also with a range of other chronic underlying conditions,” said WHO.

Some of the reasons older people are greatly impacted by COVID-19 include the physiological changes associated with ageing, decreased immune function and multimorbidity which expose older adults to be more susceptible to the infection itself and make them more likely to suffer severely from COVID-19 disease and more serious complications.

In his first address on the COVID-19 crisis on March 18, Dictator Yoweri Museveni said the real danger to society, however, is for old people, 70 years and above and people with other diseases they have been surviving with.

“Such diseases are like: TB, HIV, diabetes, hypertension, etc. It is these that will be very sick or even die. Since we have a very large number of people living with HIV (1.4 million), having diabetes (800,00), hypertension (4.8m), TB (100,000 per year), we must do everything possible to ensure that this enemy does not come here, does  not find plenty of dry grass piled up and ready for flaming,” he stated.

“What is the dry grass that can help to start and sustain fire of a coronavirus epidemic? It is the big masses of people, gathered together and in close proximity.”

Capacity

The media has learned before reopening some sectors of the economy, Cabinet will today discuss the capacity to deal with a possible rapid rise in infections.

The Permanent Secretary Health Ministry, Dr Diana Atwine this past weekend said the Government Central Public Health Laboratory (CPHL) received 15,000 COVID-19 test kits for cobass 8800.

These have capacity for 3,000 tests per day and about 192 tests per hour.

“This state of the art technology exists in only 3 countries in Africa – South Africa, Uganda and Kenya,” said Dr Atwine, adding, “Testing with these will begin today. We will continue striving to expand our capacity to test, for better response and management of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Latest results

The Health Ministry today Monday said 21 new cases confirmed from 1,071 samples from various Points of Entry on May 17. All cases are Ugandan nationals from Elegu, Mutukula and Malaba points.

All 253 community samples are negative for COVID-19.

Uganda’s COVID-19 confirmed cases are now 248.