KEY POINTS FROM THE PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS ON COVID-19
1.Curfew time will stay from 7pm to 6.30am. The measure is both a security and health intervention
2. Private vehicles can now carry four, up from three passengers, including the driver. They should observe SOPs like wearing masks
3. Boda bodas. Despite innovations like barriers between rider and passenger, they remain a high risk carrier. Bodas will stay carrying cargo, not passengers.
4. Places of worship will stay closed. They’d pose a difficulty in contact tracing and are a high risk contamination area.
5. Arcades will stay closed. However, relevant agencies will work with arcade owners to pilot prevention procedures to inform future relaxation.
6. Mobile markets, like arcades, will stay closed. They are high risk areas, present difficulty in contact tracing, etc
7. Hawkers(ing), vendors should be discouraged. They get in contact with many people, can’t be traced etc. However, they need targeted education/information
8. Repatriation of bodies for burial in Uganda. They can be repatriated but with strict SOPs from Health and Foreign Affairs Ministries. E.g. Body must be wrapped in a waterproof body bag, placed in a zinc lined coffin and an outer metal or wooden box.
9. Salons will stay closed. Activities here involve close contact between/among people. Contact tracing would be difficult too.
10. Travel in and out of Uganda for medical reasons should be barred, in principle. However, Ministry of Health and other agencies can handle case by case.
11. The following border districts will stay under lockdown: Rakai, Kyotera, Amuru, Buikwe, Gulu, Arua, Adjumani, Moyo, Nebbi, Zombo, Adjumani, Arua, Busia, Bulisa,Pakwach, Rubanda, Rubirizi, Rukiga, Rukungiri, Sironko, and Yumbe
12. Education institutions will remain closed. Radios and written education materials will be distributed to every household in the country.
13.The Independent Electoral Commission, after consulting scientists, has proposed a “scientific” electoral process. Ugandans should support this exercise