Uganda implements COVID-19 quarantine for 42 days

As the incidence of coronavirus cases in the East African country rises, Uganda has enforced a 42-day quarantine. President Yoweri Museveni declared in his Friday night address that he was weary of hearing about fatalities, but his opponents argue that his reimposed ban will only worsen the situation for Ugandans.

The Ministry of Health issued the most recent coronavirus figures on Friday morning, revealing that 1,564 new cases had been reported in the preceding 24 hours. This includes 42 more fatalities, bringing the total to 584. A total of 1,004 active cases have been hospitalized in hospitals across the country.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni revealed Friday night in his national address that Ugandans have breached a previous prohibition on interdistrict travel.

Museveni stated in his speech that every village has community health workers who maintain contact with families and monitor the health of the village. They are aware of the size of the population, the number of pregnant women and parents, and so on.

Private vehicles, other than those operated by required workers, will be allowed to carry patients to the hospital only with the agreement of their local village chairman or health worker.

"Effective immediately," Museveni said, "all interdistrict and intradistrict movement of public transit, private autos, and Boda Bodas is suspended for 42 days." "How come 42 days?" Because we know that if the virus does not spread, it exits the body after 14 days."

The virus has rapidly spread to 108 districts, twenty of which are severely impacted, including Kampala and Wakiso. Museveni added that the hospitalization and fatality rates for COVID-19 people of all ages are exceedingly high. He claimed that Ugandans were unconcerned and did not follow prior COVID-19 guidelines.

"I'm getting phone calls from all over notifying me that so-and-so has died." Imagine. "However, we warned you," Museveni said. "I've been telling you guys since March of last year... We were able to contain the sickness because people listened. As a result, the nationwide curfew was reduced from 19:00 to 05:30.

Museveni further stated that the number of COVID-19 patients who are very and dangerously ill has more than doubled, putting a strain on the health system, especially the oxygen supply. A seriously ill COVID-19 patient needs four to six cylinders each day, whereas a non-COVID-19 patient needs one to two cylinders per day.

"With the expected increase in COVID-19 patients in the next weeks, daily oxygen consumption will rise to 25,000 cylinders per day in one month if we do not change course," Museveni noted that this represents an approximately ninefold increase in the nation's total oxygen consumption.

Last Monday, the Health Ministry announced that it had secured $7 million from the Global Fund to build seven oxygen plants across the country.

Unlike last year's food distribution to disadvantaged city dwellers, which failed to reach many of the intended beneficiaries and resulted in food complaints, Ugandans must live the next 42 days with what little they have.

Sarah Birete, executive director of the Center for Constitutional Governance, criticizes Museveni's directions, claiming that they are wish lists that will aggravate an already difficult situation for people.

"It's a lovely gesture," Birete continued, "but there's no budget line, no capacities, and no arrangements." " Because our systems are often disorganized, it's a wish list that will endanger people's lives.

When considering typical transportation restrictions. You are aware that people do not want to join the LDUs because of how they treat people. Many people who do not want to be part of the fight will perish in silence."

If the coronavirus spread is not stopped by July 30, Ugandans will have to wait until then to resume their daily lives.