After the Ugandan government lessened the lockdown restrictions recently, the country has continued to register more Covid-19 infections, with the second-highest recordings reported on Saturday, making it a total 1,500 confirmed so far.
Over the weekend, on Saturday, August 15, 2020, Uganda registered it’s second-highest single day coronavirus infections, totalling to 66 from 4,816 samples tested as compared to 83, which were recorded on May 31 this year.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a Sunday evening statement that the new cases include 53 alerts (people who willingly called the ministry to be tested after exposure or presenting symptoms consistent with COVID-19), 11 contacts to previously confirmed cases and two returnees from Ethiopia and Oman.
The alerts include 30 from Kampala, 6 from Namisindwa, 7 from Wakiso and one each from Tororo, Moroto, Katakwi, Buikwe, Bukwo, Bundibugyo, Mbale, Isingiro, Hoima and Buliisa while the 11 contacts to previously confirmed cases include 9 from Kampala and two from Namisindwa and Nakaseke.
As it stands, right now a total of 1,500 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the country, and there’s a possibility the numbers are only going to get higher by the day given the fact that the MOH didn’t handle the post-lockdown situation quite well.
Apart from that, there’s the growing threat of so many Ugandans not taking the threat of the coronavirus so seriously despite all the warnings and directives offered by the government to follow standard operating procedures. For example, let’s take a look at the public transportation sector, where on many occasions Ugandans don’t seem care about the SOPs.
Many people are taking taxis or boda bodas without wearing masks, others don’t care about moving with hand sanitizers or even keeping away from public crowded places. Washing hands on a daily basis are still taken a joke by many and don’t even bother to do so. Others are still holding public gatherings or parties without assessing the risk they pose to their own families back home.
Truthfully speaking, Uganda is a mess right now and if we don’t get our act together, we might find ourselves in a very threatening situation where it’s too late to turn back. Kampala alone was recently declared as a hotspot for infections as reported by the MOH, and yet the city has resumed its normal business like nothing ever happened.
If Uganda doesn’t take the Covid-19 pandemic seriously, we may lose more than just lives but the economy and the livelihood of the country as well
I am not trying to cause panic, and neither am I saying we should drop whatever we’re doing and bring the entire country to a standstill due to coronavirus. But rather, I am trying to highlight the simple facts and how poorly we’re handled the entire pandemic situation so far.
We need to do better, and we have to enforce the SOPs and come with far better measures than we have now so as to try and contain and easily track the progress of the virus. When Kampala was declared as a hotbed for infections, with cases being reported from highly populated downtown arcades of Namaganda and Garilaya Plaza. The government came up with its poorly enacted plan to push motorbikes and other forms of transportation out of the city centre in an attempt to set up an imaginary border around it.
Well, how far has that worked out for us? We need to be realistic and smart in our approach when dealing with a pandemic. Already, 13 people have died from coronavirus in the country while 1,142 patients have so far recovered and been discharged from hospital.
Based on the numbers and reports coming in, that’s all we can offer and yet, there are so many still not tested, not forgetting those unreported deaths that could be corona-related but haven’t found their way into the media.
According to reports, the most affected age group is 30-39 with 350 cases and 20-29 with 268 cases based on the statistics that were last updated on August 14, 2020. There are 6 cases among those aged 0-9.
So far, 16 cases have been reported in those aged 10-19 while those aged 60-90 are the least affected age group. Among the infected, 85 per cent are male and 15 per cent female. The number of coronavirus infections has been steadily rising in August, with 14 cases registered on Aug 9, 21 cases on Aug 12, 32 on August 14, 49 cases on Aug 15, and 66 cases by Aug 16.
So, as we stick around and debate on whether the coronavirus is actually real or not as some countrymen have continuously done, or we take a stance on the issue and do our best to save as many lives as possible.
Also read: Uganda Government Could Halt Public Transport as COVID19 Community Transmission Increases
