By Curthbert Kigozi
Police has deployed new officers at Masindi Police station after the previous staff were put under quarantine when one of their own tested positive of the deadly Coronavirus.
Two days ago, a 29 year old police officer at the station tested positive during the ongoing rapid assessment survey and was consequently isolated.
On Sunday, the force decided to quarantine all officers at the station since they had been in contact with the positive colleague.
Consequently, new officers were brought at the station to replace the ones who had been quarantined.
“We got advice from medical experts that we ought to quarantine all officers right from the DPC to the lowest officer considering that the officer who tested positive could have interacted with his colleagues yet this has a multiplier effect,” the police director in charge of operations, AIGP Asuman Mugyenyi said.
Mugyenyi said they had to deploy new officers in order to fill the void left at the station.
“Officers residing outside the barracks should not come to the station because of this situation as we try to get to its top. We shall also disinfect the station and all the vehicles.”
He said new items will be brought to be used in policing.
The Police director in charge of health services, AIGP Dr.Moses Byaruhanga revealed that the barracks has also been sealed off not allowing anyone to access it or move out whereas the necessary supplies to the officers will be given to them inside the barracks.
Consequently, a temporarily barracks has been put in place at Kabalega Secondary School with ASP Steven Mukosa appointed as interim DPC and will be in charge of the new officers deployed in the area.
On suspects in cells, Dr.Byaruhanga said a team of experts from the Ministry of Health is set to arrive in the area to see how the situation is contained.
“The team is coming from the Ministry of Health headquarters to do a more comprehensive screening of all the contacts of the police officer including the suspects in the cells and the family members of the officer,” Byaruhanga said.
“They will then advise us on what to do next but as of now, it is in plan for all our police officers at the station and their family members are going to be under quarantine for the next 14 days.”
The development comes at a time when Uganda’s confirmed Covid-19 cases have reached 89, whereas 52 of these have since recovered and discharged from various hospitals.
President Museveni is tonight expected to address the nation on the way forward after the expiry of the 21-day lockdown period.
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