Inside Museveni’s tentative plan on easing lockdown

After the expiry of the 21 days, President Museveni is expected to announce tentative steps as lockdown restrictions will be partially relaxed, the Nile Post has learnt.

On April, 14, the president announced the extension of the lockdown by three more weeks up to May 05, 2020 to allow government monitor the Coronavirus situation.

By the time the lockdown extension was extended, the confirmed cases were at 54 without any recoveries but currently, the number is at 79 with 46 recoveries.

This means that the active coronavirus cases in Uganda are  33 but a bigger number of these are truck drivers.

In the past weeks, only workers in essential sectors like the police, army, health, financial institutions and media among a few others have been permitted to work.

This website has however learnt that the select Covid-19 committee has handed over its report to the president in which it advised him on tentatively easing the lockdown.

“Public and private transport be allowed to resume but only with reduced passengers. In taxis, passengers should go down from 14 to 9 and they all must put on masks,” the committee said in its report.

According to the committee, conductors should have sanitizers or water and soap for cleaning the hands of passengers entering and exiting the taxis.

This will be the same for buses that will have to operate at half capacity.

“Boda bodas should be allowed to carry only one passenger with a mask whereas the rider must put on a helmet for both safety reasons but also to reduce transmission to the passenger,” the committee advised the president.

According to the report, private transport will be allowed to resume but only three people allowed in a vehicle including the driver and two passengers.

Schools

For almost two months schools and other tertiary institutions have been closed as a way of avoiding the spread of the virus.

However, according to the select Covid-19 committee, only boarding schools will be allowed to reopen and resume studies.

“Boarding schools will resume, but no external visitors allowed in and out whereas all teachers will remain on site, minimize contacts with people outside of the school boundaries,” the select committee says in its report

The committee says that non boarding schools will remain closed in the meantime.

This measure might however not be tenable since most boarding schools have day sections and it would not make sense for only students in the boarding section to resume studies whereas their day section counterparts stay home.

According to the committee, universities will remain closed for the time being.

Offices

In offices, the committee suggested that workers should be split into two groups alternating the days they go to office.

“The following week that team works from home and the other team works from the office; only half of the seats are taken in the office; work can resume to almost normal capacity,” the committee suggests.

According to the select Covid-19 committee appointed by the president, there should be thermometers and hand-sanitizers at all entrance points to the offices, all doors left open as much as possible to avoid touching the handles.

“There should be extensive cleaning of the offices once a week. Staff not allowed to eat from cafeteria to avoid unnecessary exposure and mixing beyond the usual office colleges, only allowed to eat from office desk.”

The committee also suggests that factories, shopping malls, public markets, grocery shops and restaurants will resume work but with specific measures observed.

These will include social distancing, restricted numbers, regular hand washing and use of thermometers at the entrances whereas restaurants are to operate at half seating capacity with waiters putting on gloves and face masks.

Others

The committee however suggests that bars, entertainment centres, churches, mosques, sports events, funerals, weddings, and introductions will not be allowed to resume for now as the situation is being monitored.

The committee however says the curfew should remain but running from 10pm to 6am whereas everyone is advised to wear face masks, observe social distancing, and wash their hand at entry and exit points of public places.

The recommendations presented to the President will however be subject to debate by the cabinet before coming up with the final decision on what to do.