The National Taskforce on COVID-19 has a sanctioned a month-long partial lockdown to tame the escalating COVID-19 infection in the country.
In a statement from the taskforce chair Hussein Abdelbagi Akol, sent to newsrooms on Wednesday, the body confirmed the partial lockdown but also listed 11 measures to curb the spread of the disease. The measures include the following:
- The partial lockdown comes with a ban on social gatherings in churches, mosques, weddings, funerals and political events.
- All learning institutions have been closed only with the exception of students taking their examinations which will be administered under the health protocols.
- Public and private organisations have also been ordered to allow workers take paid leave or work in alternations or shifts
- Businesses attracting big crowds to be shut down. Such include shisha malls, bars, nightclubs, day parties, dominos and many others
- Limiting bus and taxis to paying half capacity and instructing the rakshas to carry two passengers and restricting bodaboda to cargo transport or carrying one passenger
- All incoming passengers must have COVID-19 free certificate
- Council of ministers to conduct only extraordinary meetings but with strict adherence to the guidelines
- Strict donning of face masks, avoidance of handshakes and social distancing
- Airports to observe strict adherence to the safety measures
- All uniformed forces to strictly enforce the measures and the partial lockdown takes effect from February 3
- The measures to run for a period of one month.
The country currently has 3,929 cases, 3,613 recoveries and 64 deaths. The stringent measures come into effect a few days after the Director General for Preventive Health Service Dr. John Rumunu said the country had procured 5 million doses to inoculate the population.
“Logistical arrangements are underway to ensure target groups are reached,” Dr. Rumunu told press during the periodic Sunday COVID-19 briefing last weekend last month. He said the doses normally arrive three months after the procurement by the countries.