Africa-Press – Uganda. The National Covid-19 Taskforce is today expected to present a Covid-19 situation report to President Museveni ahead of the planned full reopening of the economy and schools next week.
The high-level meeting will shape the President’s end of year address to the nation on December 31.
Today’s meeting comes at a time when the country is experiencing an increase in Covid-19 cases amid low vaccination coverage.
However, officials at the Ministry of Health and government scientists have cautioned Ugandans will have to take personal responsibility to get vaccinated and adhere to standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Statistics from the Ministry of Health indicate that the daily number of cases of Covid-19 increased from 32 on December 2 to 1,116 cases on December 24. However, the number of deaths has not increased.
Ms Anifa Kawooya, the State minister for Health in-charge of General Duties, told this newspaper on Christmas Day that the country is now more prepared to combat pandemics.
“Cases of Omicron detected in the country were imported by incoming travellers. So we are intensifying surveillance at entry points. We are putting all measures to ensure importation is controlled,” Ms Kawooya said.
She added: “Now we are more aware and prepared than during the first wave. We are more prepared in monitoring, in ensuring control and safety of the population. We are emphasizing self-restriction. If you are going to public places, ensure you are vaccinated. Why would you want to put yourself or your neighbours in danger?”
The minister said they have intensified their mass vaccination campaign to increase coverage in the country for effective control of the pandemic.
“Our intention is that our 4.8 million vulnerable people are vaccinated by end of this month. We have been mobilising at regional and district levels and the good thing is that we have availability of vaccines. We are going to reopen the economy come January,” Ms Kawooya added.
Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, the Health minister, last Thursday said since the Covid-19 vaccination started in March, 9.1 million Ugandans have received their first dose while 3.4 million are fully vaccinated.
President Museveni, in October said: “Even if you don’t come out for vaccination, we will open the schools and the economy. If anything goes wrong, the moral responsibility is yours.”
But by then, the daily number of cases were still low and Omicron had not yet been detected among incoming travellers.
Prof Freddie Ssengooba, a public health expert from Makerere University, yesterday said the economy should be reopened as planned.
“Countries around us have their children in schools and I think it will not be a good idea for this [the emergence of Omicron variant and rising cases] to affect that decision of starting schools,” Prof Ssengooba said.
But Dr Aceng said: “The high attack rate of Omicron means that severe (eight percent) and critical (five percent) might accrue at a rate that our respective (High Dependency Unit and Intensive Care Unit) bed capacity might not sustain for long. In light of this, it becomes the responsibility of everyone to protect the window for the planned full reopening of the economy in January 2022.”
Since the outbreak of the pandemic last year, the virus has infected a total of 134,348 people and killed 3,275.
What they say
Workers MP Abdulhu Byakatonda, said: “I see the Omicron variant is spreading quickly. The kill rate is too low. All we have to do now is follow measures to combat it.”
Mr Hasadu Kirabira, the chairperson of the National Private Educational Institutions Association (NPEIA), said:
“We need to prioritise the education sector. We need to continue engaging and come up with medium and long term interventions so that the sector can manage the challenges effectively,” he said.
“We have asked the government to help us with supplies in school health centres, especially with the health care kits,” he added.
Dr Misaki Wayengera, the head of scientists advising the government on Covid-19, said increasing vaccine coverage, adhering to preventive measures and ensuring schools test students and evacuate those who test positive will be central as the economy reopens.
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