Prime
Museveni to address nation on coronavirus
President Museveni. PPU PHOTO
What you need to know:
- Mr George Okiria Obore, the chairperson of Association of Secondary School headteachers of Uganda, said they had suspended some activities such as sports inter-school competitions.
President Museveni will today address the country on measures being taken to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the country.
So far, the Ministry of Health has reported that there are no cases of coronavirus patients in the country, although neighbouring countries of Kenya, Tanzania, DR Congo and Rwanda, confirmed their first cases last week, especially among people who had returned from abroad.
The government has already restricted travels to and from countries with highest cases of coronavirus such as France, San Marino, Belgium, US, UK, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Australia, Malaysia, Germany, Italy, South Korea, China, Iran and Spain.
Health minister Jane Ruth Aceng last week asked individuals coming from those countries to postpone their travel and if they must come, they must self-quarantine for at least 14 days at their cost.
The government has also postponed international symposiums, which were expected to be in Kampala like the 2020 United National G77 and China summit over the threat.
In a Cabinet meeting on Monday, sources who talked to Daily Monitor on condition of anonymity, said government had agreed to tighten measures expected to prevent the virus from entering the country.
President Museveni is expected to address the country today on the coronavirus response plan.
Some of the issues the public expects President Museveni to address include whether schools will remain open in the face of the coronavirus threat that has seen 7,182 people die across the globe since the outbreak in China in December and left 184,037 people infected so far. Also of concern is whether the 2021 General Election will go as earlier planned.
Justice Simon Byabakama, the Electoral Commission chairperson, yesterday told Daily Monitor that until they have been guided, their roadmap to the 2021 General Election has not changed.
“We are still waiting for an official government statement on what to do… given that most of the electoral activities involve gathering of a number of people. We are waiting to be guided,” Justice Byabakama said.
Mr Alex Kakooza, the Ministry of Education Permanent Secretary, said unless the President advises otherwise, schools will remain open.
“We don’t have a case and we thank God for that. We continue to follow the Ministry of Health guidelines. We have a sub-committee which has been looking at what we need to do to protect our children if we got a case. Parents should remain calm. Government is doing everything possible to keep the population, especially our children, safe. We will take action as the situation dictates,” Mr Kakooza said in an interview yesterday.
Uganda National Teachers’ Union (Unatu) general secretary Filbert Baguma, however, yesterday warned that keeping schools open is dangerous.
“Keep schools off the public. The challenge will be day scholars. It makes everybody vulnerable because you can’t tell who was with them at home and those they meet on the way. Schools still being open to people becomes dangerous. The situation is complex,” Mr Baguma said.
Mr George Okiria Obore, the chairperson of Association of Secondary School headteachers of Uganda, said they had suspended some activities such as sports inter-school competitions.
