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{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
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{{Infobox pandemic
{{Infobox pandemic
| name = 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Uganda
| name = COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda
| image = Directives présidentielles en Ouganda concernant le COVID-19.jpg
| image = Directives présidentielles en Ouganda concernant le COVID-19.jpg
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| website = {{URL|https://www.health.go.ug}}
| website = {{URL|https://www.health.go.ug}}
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The [[2019–20 coronavirus pandemic]] was confirmed to have reached [[Uganda]] in March 2020.
The [[COVID-19 pandemic]] was confirmed to have reached [[Uganda]] in March 2020.


== Background ==
== Background ==

Revision as of 14:03, 4 May 2020

COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda
File:Directives présidentielles en Ouganda concernant le COVID-19.jpg
DiseaseCOVID-19
Virus strainSARS-CoV-2
LocationUganda
First outbreakWuhan, China
Arrival date22 March 2020
(4 years, 3 months and 5 days)
Confirmed cases88 (as of 2 May)[1]
Recovered52 (as of 2 May)
Deaths
0 (as of 2 May)
Government website
www.health.go.ug

The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached Uganda in March 2020.

Background

On 12 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019.[2][3]

The case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003,[4][5] but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll.[6][4]

Timeline

March 2020

On 18 March, public gatherings including places of worship, pubs, weddings, music shows, rallies and cultural meetings were suspended for 32 days with immediate effect. Foreigners and Ugandans arriving in the country will be put under 14-day mandatory quarantine in hotels designated by the government that are in Entebbe, about an hour from Kampala, but the stay will be paid for by the citizens themselves. Since the mandatory quarantine began, about 40 travelers have been forced to pay up to US$840 to stay in the Central Inn hotel, a cost that is excessive for most Ugandans. Witnesses have said that people unable to pay the hotel fees have been forced to sleep in the lobby of the hotel, while others have been stranded at the airport. It is also not clear if the government is upholding basic health standards in the hotel quarantines. Travelers forced to stay in the hotel are reportedly forced to stay in close proximity to each other and the hotel staff, with some unable even to take a shower. One person posted on Facebook that no medical officer has visited the hotel and that staff have frequently entered and left the premises and worked without protective gear.[7]

On 22 March, the first case of COVID-19 in Uganda was confirmed.[8][9] The confirmed case is a 36-year-old male who had travelled to Dubai on 17 March 2020 for a business trip. On returning to Uganda on 21 March 2020 at around 2 am aboard Ethiopian Airlines, his temperature was said to be at 38.7 during the screening process at Entebbe Airport which prompted the health team at the airport to isolate him at the airport for further follow up. Another eight cases were confirmed by the ministry of health on 24 March and all were cases that came between 17 and 20 March aboard Ethiopian and Emirates flights some on board the same flight as the index case.[10] The same day all schools and universities were closed for 30 days.[11]

On 23 March, the Health Department reported eight new cases, bringing the total up to nine. All the cases were Ugandans who had travelled back from Dubai.

On 25 March, public transport was suspended for 14 days. Only private cars with not more than three occupants are allowed on the road.[12]

On 26 March, several reports emerged of security personnel beating Ugandans who were out on the streets. Trade Minister Amelia Kyambadde said the government was concerned about the way police and other security agencies had begun treating Ugandans following President Museveni's suspension of public transport and non-food markets in a bid to prevent the spread of coronavirus. “There has been a misinterpretation of directives. I have been told that restaurants, arcades, salons, shops, supermarkets are being closed. That's wrong. They should continue to operate as long as they are not in food markets. However, periodic markets that happen weekly are suspended. The exception is for those selling foodstuffs,” she said.[13]

On 26 March, police and other security personnel were heavily deployed in all city suburbs, slums and along the streets to enforce the president's directives. A few people who breached the government's restrictions were arrested, most of whom were boda boda riders who defied the ban on public transport and carried passengers.[14]

On 30 March, the President declared a nationwide curfew from 7 pm to 6:30 am, which would run for 14 days to prevent the spread of the disease.[15] On 31 March, Uganda recorded 11 new cases all having been in mandatory quarantine with limited community exposure.

April 2020

On 2 April, Uganda registered one case of corona virus while third April three other cases were recorded bringing the cumulative number to 48 cases. April 3rd and 4th, Uganda registered no new cases while on 5th, 6th and 7th there was just one case recorded. The days from 8th to the 12th, Uganda had no new confirmed cases and four patients were discharged after testing negative for the Corona virus. April 14, one case was recorded at the Eastern border of Uganda and Kenya. This was a case of a cargo transporter who had been in Kenya and brings the cumulative number of cases in Uganda as of 15th April to 55. On the 18th of April, Uganda discharged 6 patients bringing the total to recoveries to 28.[16] On the 20th of April, 10 patients from Entebbe General Hospital recovered, bringing the total of recoveries to 38.[17][18]

Prevention

As a precautionary measure, on 18 March, President Yoweri Museveni banned all incoming and outgoing travel to specified highly affected countries for a period of 32 days.[19] Schools have been closed and public gatherings banned.[20] The president extended the lock down period for another 21 days on top of the 14 days. This lock down period continued from April 15 and will run up to May 05, 2020.[21]

He made the announcement on Tuesday while addressing the nation on the status of coronavirus pandemic in Uganda

  • Cars banned in Kampala (15th April 2020).

References

  1. ^ ":: MoH :: COVID-19 Information Portal". covid19.gou.go.ug. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  2. ^ Elsevier. "Novel Coronavirus Information Center". Elsevier Connect. Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  3. ^ Reynolds, Matt (4 March 2020). "What is coronavirus and how close is it to becoming a pandemic?". Wired UK. ISSN 1357-0978. Archived from the original on 5 March 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Crunching the numbers for coronavirus". Imperial News. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  5. ^ "High consequence infectious diseases (HCID); Guidance and information about high consequence infectious diseases and their management in England". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 3 March 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  6. ^ "World Federation Of Societies of Anaesthesiologists – Coronavirus". www.wfsahq.org. Archived from the original on 12 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  7. ^ "Ugandans Trying to Get Home Forced to Pay for COVID-19 Quarantine". Human Rights Watch. 19 March 2020.
  8. ^ Obulutsa, George (21 March 2020). "Angola, Eritrea, Uganda confirm first cases as coronavirus spreads in Africa". National Post. Reuters. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  9. ^ Ministry of Health - Uganda [@MinofHealthUG] (21 March 2020). "Uganda confirms 1st case of COVID-19" (Tweet). Retrieved 22 March 2020 – via Twitter.
  10. ^ "Uganda confirms first coronavirus case". 22 March 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  11. ^ "Museveni orders closure of schools". TheEastAfrican.co.ke. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  12. ^ Esagala, Alex; Mabala, Rachel; Lubowa, Abubaker; Buule, Gabriel (26 March 2020). "Canes, tears in Kampala over coronavirus". Daily Monitor. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  13. ^ "Stop beating Ugandans - Amelia Kyambadde tells Security personnels". Daily Monitor. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  14. ^ "Public transport ban bites Kampala". www.newvision.co.ug. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  15. ^ Kyeyune, Hamza. "Uganda declares curfew to curb spread of COVID-19". AA. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  16. ^ "Uganda Discharges 6 More Covid-19 Patients, Recoveries Rise to 28". Online news from Uganda and the East African region - SoftPower News. 19 April 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  17. ^ Television, N. B. S. (20 April 2020). "OPINION POLL: Uganda has registered a 70% recovery rate from #COVID19 with 38 of the 55 patients cured. What should be done to sustain and consolidate this initial success against the Coronavirus? #NBSLiveAt9 #NBSUpdates #StaySafeUgpic.twitter.com/Is0KiQPIqy". @nbstv. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  18. ^ "Uganda Coronavirus: 55 Cases and 0 Deaths - Worldometer". www.worldometers.info. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  19. ^ "Uganda bans travellers from COVID-19 hit countries". PML. 18 March 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  20. ^ "Uganda's Museveni orders closure of schools, bans public gatherings". The East African. 18 March 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  21. ^ "Covid-19: Museveni extends lockdown period by 21 days". Daily Monitor. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
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