Covid cases increase to 100 daily
A woman being tested for Covid-19 recently. PHOTO/ FILE
The Ministry of Health is reporting an average of 100 cases per day in the last seven days, an increase from the daily average of 62 cases in the previous week.
Statistics from the ministry also indicate that 14 Covid-19 deaths were reported between June 11 and June 17 compared with just one death reported between June 4 and June 10.
According to the ministry, results of Covid-19 tests done on June 17 confirm 111 new cases, pushing the cumulative confirmed cases to 166,920.
One death was also reported, pushing cumulative deaths to 3,615.
Kampala, the main Covid-19 hotspot, contributed 67 of the 111 cases, Mbarara (33), Rubirizi (seven), while Kakumiro, Wakiso, Jinja, and Kiruhura registered one each.
“Two features define the extent of havoc a bug can inflict on society -ease of transmission and virulence. As SARS-COV2 (coronavirus) gains more speed of transmissibility through its emerging Omicron variants, our prayer is that it doesn’t pick up (or regain-akin to delta) higher virulence,” Dr Misaki Wayengera, the head of government Scientific Advisory Committee on Covid-19, said yesterday.
He told this publication earlier that: “Dwindling immunity after vaccination, new variant and reluctance of populace in observing standard operating procedures,” have triggered the increase in infections in the country.
Preventive measures include wearing of facemask, social distancing and handwashing.
Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, the Health minister, appealed to the public recently to go for Covid-19 vaccination and booster shots to minimise the health impacts of the resurgence to guarantee economic recovery.
Dr Aceng said the vaccine is safe and effective in preventing severe Covid-19 and deaths.
The positivity rate of the virus has also been increasing slowly from around 2 percent in previous months with the figure shooting up to 6.1 percent on June 15.
A positivity rate of 5 percent and above indicates that the pandemic is getting out of control, according to the Ministry.
Results of Covid-19 tests done on June 18 show cumulative confirmed cases at 166,954 and 100,395 recoveries.
