President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has suspended inter-district for all private and public transport means in a bid to contain COVID-19 with reports showing an increase in a surge of cases and community infections.
The announcement is part of the list of measures that President Museveni announced last evening that will strictly be observed under the renewed efforts to curb the COVID-19 second wave in the country.
Although inter-district travel has been banned for 42 days, the president says this measure will be effected starting on June 10, 2021, with a window of three days left to enable school children return home given the fact that schools have also been closed for the same period. Mr. Museveni speaking1……..
President Museveni also announced that selected categories of vehicles have been waived from the inter-district travel restriction including, cargo vehicles with not more than two people, registered tourists’ vehicles, essential and emergency vehicles, save for the districts of Wakiso, Mukono, and Kampala. Mr. Museveni speaking2……
However, public transport within the same district is not banned but vehicle operators have been asked to observe the set SOPs for transport which include; ensuring that all passages have masks, limiting the number of passages to half of the normal vehicle capacity among others.
The president has also suspended communal prayers in mosques and Churches as believers have been asked to pray from their respective homes or make use of the mass media.
However, marriage and burial ceremonies, and vigils have been allowed so long as they don’t exceed 20 people and are held in strict observance of standard operating procedures.
Furthermore, all public gatherings, conferences have also been suspended except for The Cabinet, Parliament, and The Judiciary.
Other suspended activities include; weekly non-food markets and monthly cattle markets, bars, cinema halls, discos, and concerts while Sports events have been allowed to go on without spectators but still under strict observance of sops including testing participants before each game.
Shopping malls and supermarkets have also been allowed to operate under close surveillance for about one week and it is found that they cannot adhere to SOPs, they will be closed.
Mr. Museveni says that unlike in the past, those found in violation of the set guidelines and restrictions will be fined a yet-to-be-set fee by the secretary to the treasury. Mr. Museveni speaking3……
President Museveni emphasized that if Ugandans fail to observe the set guidelines and restrictions, he will be left with no option other than announcing a total lockdown.
To date, Uganda has registered a total of 52,929 covid19 cases. Of these 374 have succumbed to the disease while 43,487 have recovered. END
