Muslims must adhere to curfew and other COVID-19 regulations during the Holy month of Ramadhan, Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda has said.
While addressing Parliament on Tuesday, the curfew time will be maintained despite calls by Members of Parliament to have it lifted. Muslim leaders wrote to Parliament and the Prime Minister to revise curfew time until the Holy month is over, so as to allow for Taraweeh prayers.
Government imposed curfew in March last year as a measure to curb COVID-19. However, Rugunda told MPs that information from the Ministry of Health and Scientists indicate that the threat of Covid- 19 is still high and that projections indicate that Uganda should not relax on COVID-19 because the number of positive cases reported has unfortunately started to increase, especially in urban areas, border districts and trading centres.
President Museveni is expected to address the Nation on the matter in the near future.
According to Joyce Moriku Kaducu the Minister of State for Primary Health Care, the fact that a new variate from the United Kingdom and South Africa has been discovered further justifies the decision to maintain the curfew. Kaducu also says that if 60% of the population is vaccinated, the curfew can be lifted.
The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga said that the government needs to come with better reasons for not lifting the curfew.
In the recent days, Uganda’s COVID-19 cases have increased from single to double digits.
