President Yoweri Museveni has today announced a total lock down in Uganda in the wake of coronavirus pandemic.
During his national adress on Monday, President Museveni passed stringent measures to control the spread of the pandemic that has so far infected 33 people in Uganda.
Here are some of the key highlights in the President’s speech:
1. Prohibit people to people movement by every Ugandan including private vehicles, boda bodas, taxis, buses etc. This will take effect from 10.00pm today, 30th March 2020 up to 14th April.
2. Arcades and shopping malls are suspended for 14 days starting 1st April 2020.
3. All non food stores (duukas) should also close. Only food shops or stores and pharmaceuticals should remain open. Home deliveries should be encouraged instead of people moving.
4. Markets should remain open but with SOPs. They should restrict numbers within these places
5. Food markets in Kampala should remain open, but observe the distance of 4meteres between people, from all four angles.
6. Factory staff should arrange to stay close to their work places during the 14 days starting 1st to 14th April. If factories cannot manage to implement this, then they should suspend production for 14 days.
7. Salons, lodges etc should also close for 14 days.
8. Construction sites should continue if they can be able to revamp their staff for 14 days.
9. The key organisations that can stay open are medical companies, veterinary, telephone companies, banks, private security companies, cleaning services, fire bridge, petrol, water, funeral services, KCCA, URA, and UNRA. These employers should try and encamp some staff close to the offices or get special permission from the RDC.
10. Cargo transport, by plane, lorry, boda bodas etc can continue.
11. Except cargo transporters, trains, etc, there will be a curfew throughout Uganda. Curfew yet to be determined.
12. In the event of emergencies like needing to go to the hospital for health emergencies like child birth, district medical officers permission should be acquired.
13. Banks, water companies and other necessities are yet to be discussed to prevent penalties of no payments made to them, due to this shutdown.
14. Government workers should also stay home for 14 days, except for the exempt companies mentioned above, but SOPs should be worked out for the organisations that will be working.
15. Police should arrest politicians and people who are distributing food for cheap popularity in this period. The offense for this is attempted murder.
16. People trying to take patients of Corona to hospitals should also stop their movements effective immediately to prevent spread. Instead call the helpline.
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