By An Executive Editor
While the two cases that tested positive in Kampala came from Mubende District and are regarded as Mubende cases, because of the presence of contacts of these two cases and the risks of infection, President Yoweri Museveni has directed “a full mobilization of Kampala City into a response mode.”
This should cover Kampala Metropolitan area, he said last evening during an address to the nation and added that “The Minister for Health and other authorities will provide additional guidance on these directives.”
The President’s directive follows the Ebola outbreak in the districts of Mubende, Kyegegwa, Kassanda, Kagadi and Bunyangabu.
The Country now has 58 total confirmed cases and 19 deaths.
So far, 20 people have recovered from Ebola.
Last evening, the President announced a 21-day lockdown in Mubende and Kassanda to control the spread of the Virus.
He appealed to the Countrymen, Country women and Foreign Residents, that “these are temporary measures to control the spread of Ebola.”
“We should all cooperate with the authorities so that we bring this outbreak to an end in the shortest time possible,” he said.
In regards to essential health services, the President said that Ambulances, vans and medicines have been deployed to support continuity of other health services.
“Those who are sick should use the ambulances to access the hospitals and health workers should use the vans. The Minister for Health and other authorities will provide additional guidance on these directives.”
Directives
To further control the spread of Ebola, the President last evening announced these directives:
- Movements into and out of Mubende and Kassanda Districts is prohibited.
- Movement from Kassanda to Mubende and vice versa is prohibited.
- There will be Curfew in Mubende and Kassanda Districts starting from 7:00pm to 6:00am.
- Movement of persons within their respective district (Mubende and Kassanda) is allowed.
- Public transport, private transport and Boda-bodas are NOT permitted to move.
- ONLY Cargo vehicles, vehicles supporting the response to Ebola outbreak, authorized
Government vehicles and Security vehicles are permitted to move BUT SHALL NOT TAKE PEOPLE
IN OR OUT OF MUBENDE AND KASSANDA. - Transit vehicles (public and private) crossing through Mubende and Kassanda Districts are
permitted to move but with police clearance and shall NOT STOP TO PICK OR DROP PEOPLE. - Cargo trucks with only a driver and one turn-boy shall be allowed to deliver goods and may carry
goods out of the districts but shall not carry passengers. - All cargo shall be delivered to the districts of Mubende and Kassanda during the day. Cargo
vehicles shall be required to leave by 5:00pm and the operators will not sleep in any of the two
districts. Anyone who sleeps in the districts shall remain there for 21 days. - All seasonal markets (butale bw’ Omubuulo) are suspended.
- The Mines in Mubende will remain open for people in Mubende and the mines in Kassanda will remain open for the people in Kassanda. No crossing over.
In addition, daily temperature checks, hand washing and symptom screening must be enforced
by the proprietors.
SCHOOLS - Schools should remain open and learners should be allowed to move when in school uniform.
- Temperature of all learners, teachers and non-
- teaching staff should be monitored on a daily basis.
- Any School absence must be reported immediately to the response teams and investigated.
- All children, teachers and non-teaching staff who have had contact with a person who has signs and symptoms of Ebola should not go to school.
- All places of worship shall be closed.
- All bars, places of entertainment, bibanda, bidandali, gyms, and saunas shall be closed.
OTHER INTERVENTIONS - All burials (whether Ebola or not) shall be conducted by Safe Burial Teams during this period. Samples will be taken from all dead bodies and tested for Ebola.
- Government should intensify public health awareness after fully understanding community
issues, culture and traditions. - Ministry of Health must intensify surveillance and contact tracing in the two districts to pick out all possible cases.
- Enforce hand washing/sanitizing using alcohol hand rub in both districts.
- Ministry of Health will secure and deploy twenty (20) ambulances from various districts and
Regional Referral Hospitals to the two districts for continuity of essential health services. - Ministry of Health will mobilize and deploy 10 vans for transportation of health workers in the two districts.
- Health workers with vehicles shall be given permits by the RDCs to move only within their districts.
- Ministry of Health will provide PPEs to all registered health facilities (private and public) in the two districts.
