Six health workers contract Ebola as President Museveni rules out lockdown
President Yoweri Museveni has ruled out the possibility of enforcing a lockdown to contain the highly infectious Ebola virus, claiming the nation was capable of containing the outbreak.
“We decided that we shall not have lockdowns. It is not necessary,” Museveni said.
“Government has the capacity to control this outbreak as we have done before. There is no need for anxiety, no restrictions of movements, closure of schools places of worship, and markets as of now.”
After the nation reported its first death from the virus since 2019 last week, authorities in Uganda declared an outbreak in the central region of Mubende.
President Museveni confirmed that as of Wednesday, the country’s caseload stood at 24 with five confirmed deaths.
He stated that 19 people who were considered to be likely cases also passed away and were buried before being examined for infection.
The announcement came as the country announced that six health workers at Mubende Regional Referral Hospital had tested positive for the Ebola Virus Disease.
Three of them are medical professionals, two are interns, and one is a medical student, according to Mr. Herbert Luswata, general secretary of the Uganda Medical Association.
Uganda is facing a resurgence of the virus that has claimed 11,300 people in West Africa between 2013 and 2016 alone.
The DRC has had more than a dozen epidemics, the deadliest killing 2,280 people in 2020.
Kenya which shares a porous border with Uganda is on high alert with 20 of the 47 counties under high risk of contagion.
On Monday, the Ministry of Health said the borders between the two countries will remain open.
Dr Patrick Amoth, Director General at the Ministry of Health, said “We are not going to close the borders but we will enhance surveillance.”