Gov't orders closure of three firms after employees test positive for Covid-19

The Ministry of Health has recommended for temporary closure of three companies in Kampala after some of their employees tested positive for Covid-19.

The companies are: Eagle Holdings, Megha Industries and Toyota Uganda.

Speaking to the media in Kampala, Ruth Aceng, the minister for Health said Kampala is among the three top districts that account for the biggest percentage of all confirmed cases in Uganda.

"These business premises have been recommended for temporary closure following the current trend of Covid19 in Kampala metropolitan area.The Ministry of health working closely with KCCA will intensify response activities to deal with the threat at hand," she said.

Aceng said two arcades in downtown Kampala have also registered positive cases of Covid-19.

She attributed the rise in these cases to non-compliance to health guidelines by members of the public noting that the country has registered a total of 595 communities cases in 48 districts.

Aceng said it is important to note that of all the 11 deaths so far reported in the country, 8 are from Kampala.

She said it is possible with the lifting of the lockdown, the virus might have been imported into Kampala and appears to have spread among the communities.

"This signals tougher times ahead and thus a deep need for compliance to the presidential directives, the ministry of Health standard operating procedures and the statutory instrument in place for this public health threat,"she said.

Aceng said the ministry wrote to all political parties about the need to comply with the Covid19 SOPs.

"We also urge the different political parties to work with the ministry of Health to develop standard operating procedures for their activities, "she said.