Africa-Press – Uganda. The Ministry of Health has reported 700 new confirmed virus infections with one more death as government ponders a second lockdown as a radical measure to break the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic.
The Ministry said Saturday that 600 of the new cases are contacts and alerts registered in the last 24 hours in Kampala (441), Wakiso (75), Gulu (52), Luwero (29), Nakasongola (23), and Tororo (11), among other districts.
Other cases were registered in the districts of Mbarara (12), Masindi (11), Kiboga (10), Masaka (7), Lira (4), Mpigi (3), Busia (3), Kabarole (3), Yumbe (2), Kalungu (2), Arua (1), Gomba (1) and Maracha (1).
Additionally, Buikwe District registered one case, Jinja registered two, Hoima one, Paliisa one while Namisindwa registered two.
At least two truck drivers tested positive with the virus at Mutukula and Malaba border posts.
Uganda has so far registered 45,931 cases and 362 virus deaths since March 2020 when the pandemic was confirmed in the country.
Only 577, 036 people have so far been vaccinated with a total of 1,100,350 virus tests conducted since March last year.
Test positivity rate is now at 14.3 percent with a total of 364 active cases on admission at Health facilities across the country, according to the statement shared by ministry of health.
The ministry officials further said 43,401 people have recovered and have been discharged since March last year.
The ministry’s statement comes just hours before President Museveni’s address regarding the COVID-19 situation in the county.
“I will address the nation tomorrow at 8pm regarding the COVID-19 situation. The address will be live on all Television and Radio stations. Ensure that you tune in,” Mr Museveni tweeted Friday.
Meanwhile, Mulago National Referral Hospital and other facilities across the country are currently packed, and positivity rate has jumped from 1.5 per cent in April to 7.8 per cent as of yesterday.
The country’s heath officials said more contagious variants of the virus, especially from India, Nigeria UK and South Africa, are partly to blame for the accelerating spread. Critics, however, say the government relaxed after January polls and many citizens have not been vaccinated.
