Manufacturers of bottled alcohol, Uganda Breweries Limited (UBL), in partnership with Ministry of Health has today Thursday embarked on a grand campaign of vaccinating all people who work in bars against Covid-19, as a precursor to have these centres resume full operations, slated for next week.
The vaccination drive started today early morning at Lugogo grounds and all bar employers, together with their employees are expected to vigorously take part.
Also taking part are people who work in other leisure oriented centres like gyms, saunas, cinema halls, restaurants and theatres.
In his end of year speech on December 31st 2021, President Yoweri Museveni further eased Covid-19 restrictions, as a positive step towards the full re-opening of the economy.
He therefore ordered leisure oriented centres to resume operations, two weeks after schools reopening.
Very many business entities of the leisure category that had been rendered redundant as a result of the Covid-19 induced lockdown, were instructed to re-open after almost two years of blackout. Bars and other recreational centres were no exception.
Now, as a way of preparing the commencement of operations, UBL has decided to have the unvaccinated take their jabs, in order to prepare them for full operations, to ensure their own safety, and that of their customers.
While launching the event, the Acting Managing Director of Uganda Breweries Limited, Eunice Waweru urged bar operators to cautiously observe Covid-19 Standard of Operating Procedures (SOP’s), else face reprisals from government like forced closure.
She said that according to the statistics they have at their disposal from the ministry of health and leisure industry, 95% of the employees in the leisure sector are already vaccinated against Covid -19. She therefore asserted that their goal is to have the remaining 5% take their Covid-19 jabs.
The Permanent secretary at the Ministry of Health Dr. Diana Atwiine yesterday said owners of recreational centres must consider working in spaced stractures, to avoid congestion that would lead to further spread of Covid-19.
“You cant observe social distancing in a very tiny space, if people have outdoor, the better, but now that we are seeing more people have been vaccinated and we are continuing to vaccinate, we do believe that it is high time we believed that we opened up,” said Dr. Atwiine.
Since last year, Uganda Breweries Limited has been working with several stakeholders to take vaccination points out of health facilities, to community areas such as bars and play grounds.
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