Ugandans are skeptical about further lifting of the lockdown next week as earlier promised by President Yoweri Museveni, after the country’s COVID19 cases hit 300.
On Thursday May 28th 2020, 36 Ugandans tested positive for the disease bringing the number of total confirmed cases of COVID19 to 317.
Among these, 24 cases are truck drivers. 20 of these arrived via Elegu point of entry from South Sudan, 2 via Malaba and one from Lia point of entry in Arua. The other driver is not accounted for in the statement released by Ministry of health last night.
Meanwhile, 12 new cases are of contacts to previously confirmed truck drivers and were all under quarantine.
Ugandan authorities also handed over 26 foreign truck drivers who tested positive, back to their countries of origin.
1,428 samples were taken at the points of entry and 802 from community. In total, 2,230 samples were tested on Thursday. Uganda currently has 69 recoveries.
While appearing on NTV on Thursday night, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health Dr. Diana Atwine said that it was impossible for them to distribute masks to all Ugandans in the remaining few days.
“We will not be able to distribute masks to the public in 6 days. It is impossible. I like doing things in the right way even when it is an emergency. I am the accounting officer and I don’t want to be laughed at when PAC invites me” Dr. Diana.
This means it will be impossible to open the public transport sector for business next week as earlier promised by the president. As one of the conditions to further lifting of the lockdown, the President had said every Ugandan above the age of 6 must be given a free mask.
It remains unclear how many masks an individual will get. The company contracted to manufacture the masks earlier revealed that on average, 1.5 million masks are produced daily.
