President Museveni Partially Lifts Lockdown as Covid-19 Cases Rise to 97

By Wilson Kakuru On May 5, 2020 1,643

President Yoweri Museveni has announced an adjustment to the lockdown measures, with only a select number of activities allowed to either continue operating or resume operations but under conditions.

Key policy directives from last night’s presidential address on Covid-19

1. Food markets will stay open
2. Airport and borders stay closed.
3. Wholesale shops to open
4. Hardware shops to open
5. Garages to open
6. Metal and wood workshops to open
7. Insurance providers to function
8. Quotas of lawyers to be permitted to work
9. Restaurants to open but only for takeaways.
10. Warehouses to open.
11. Schools plus other facilities that attract large numbers to stay closed
12. Public and private cars still not operational. Only private cars with stickers to move.
To facilitate those working, use marked buses, walk or cycle.
13. Its mandatory to wear cloth masks in public.

All other earlier protective/restrictive measures stay in place for another 14 days.

Note: 1. Those “trapped” in Kampala and seeking permission to travel upcountry, the matter still under study.

2. Stop domestic violence. Try to tolerate each other.

3. Banks and landlords, stop acting like Shylock in “Merchant of Venice”, asking for a pound of flesh. Restructure loans and rental payments.

Meanwhile, authorities in Uganda confirmed eight new cases of COVID-19 on Monday night minutes after the country’s President Yoweri Museveni announced lockdown extension by two weeks.

In a Tweet, the Ministry of Health said: “Today, May 4, 2020, eight new COVID-19 cases confirmed. Six out of 2,061 samples of truck drivers while two cases are from the community confirmed from the Rapid Assessment Survey.”

According to the ministry, five truck drivers arrived from Kenya through Malaba border post while another arrived from Tanzania via Mutukula border point.