Africa-Press – Uganda. COVID-19 | The police have issued a warning to people intending to travel to Kampala city and the suburbs not to dare without wearing masks.The Kampala Metropolitan Police (KMP) spokesman, Patrick Onyango said that operations to net people who are violating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) had been intensified in the city and its surrounding towns, targeting people who violet the ministry of health COVID-19 guidelines.These include wearing of face masks, washing of hands with soap when entering a shopping mall or arcade, ensuring social distancing and others.On Thursday, the police arrested over 100 people in the city for violating COVID-19 guidelines and these included those who were not wearing masks and arcade managers who were not observing COVID-19 SOPs. They were detained at the Central Police Station.On Friday, the police at Katwe conducted another operation and arrested 21 people from taxis, private cars, boda boda riders or their passengers who, according to the police, had deliberately refused to wear masks.The operation was conducted in areas of Nsambya, Makindye, Namasuba, Katwe and along all major routes leading to the city.Onyango said the suspects were detained at Katwe police station where they wrote statements and were later on Friday evening taken to Makindye court after their files were sanctioned by the Resident State Attorney.They were charged with doing acts likely to cause the spread of an infectious disease, which is coronavirus, under the Public Health Act.”They were all remanded to Kitalya prisons, where they are likely to spend the Christmas. We are advising people to ensure they are wearing their face masks as they step out of their homes and follow all the SOPs from the ministry of health, whoever violets these guidelines does so at his or her own risk,” Onyango explained.Earlier on, the KMP deputy spokesman, Luke Owoyesigyire, commenting about the Thursday operation said, one of their missions is ensuring that the health guidelines are enforced so that people know that it is a crime not to put on a mask.According to Owoyesigyire, the traffic police officers are on alert to ensure that passengers in public vehicles were wearing face masks. They will also be stopping private cars and motorcycles to check whether they observe the SOPs.The police are also targeting boda boda riders and taxi drivers who accept to carry passengers who are not wearing face masks.The same warning was issued against passengers, who even with a face mask accept to be transported by a driver or rider who does not have a face mask.”If you are carrying someone who is not putting on a mask, we shall arrest you as well and charge both of you. Likewise, if you are a passenger and you board either a motorcycle or taxi and either the driver or rider doesn’t have a mask, both of you will be arrested,” Owoyesigire said.
