Covid-19: Lockdown has reduced pressure on country’s health system- Minister Aceng
The Health Minister, Dr.Jane Ruth Aceng has defended the Coronavirus lockdown imposed by government as one that helped to reduce pressure off the health system.
“The lockdown reduced pressure on the surveillance system and the health system by keeping the numbers low because the country must maintain the low numbers and low rates of infection,” Minister Aceng said during her address to the nation on Saturday.
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Uganda currently has 55 confirmed cases and 20 recoveries but late last month, the World Health Organisation in its situation report predicted that going by the then trend, Uganda would by April 15 have 1051 confirmed coronavirus cases.
The lockdown was therefore implemented as a measure to control the crowds in various parts of the country, but most especially in Kampala and Wakiso who would be a fertile ground for the spread of the deadly virus.
According to the Minister, had not been for the lockdown, the situation would have gone out of hand and there would be many cases and possible deaths in the country, as it is in many countries including the US, Italy and Spain among others.
“When the numbers of exposed and infected individuals grow so fast, the stress on the system is huge and the system cannot hope with it,” Aceng said.
The Minister applauded members of the public for the cooperation that saw them heed to the presidential and Ministry of Health guidelines to combat the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
On Tuesday, President Museveni announced an extension of the lockdown by three more weeks.
“Government has decided to keep in place the stay-home order for another 21 days starting tomorrow April,15 to May, 5, 2020 to allow us to study the situation longer,” Museveni said during his address to the country.
“Let us keep quiet. If there is something, it will come up and if not, we will move on but at least we will have tried. I would like to appeal to Ugandans to follow the guidelines above.”
The Health Minister said during the 21 days lockdown, they will be testing and screening all cargo truck drivers, carry out routine test for all health workers who are carrying out surveillance and managing patients in isolation centres throughout the country.
“We shall test all other incoming people like UN staff who come to give support, identify illegal entrants into the country through the porous borders. We shall also ensure that the country is cleared of all pockets of transmission by carrying out a rapid assessment survey focusing on previously known foci of transmission and points of congregation of trucks.”
