Police revive roadblock checks to enforce Covid-19 SOPs

Police have announced that starting tomorrow Tuesday, they will resume erection of roadblocks in various roads leading to the city centre to enforce Coronavirus guidelines.

 

Speaking at the Joint Security briefing at the Uganda Media Centre on Monday afternoon, Fred Enanga, the Police spokesperson said they have realized members of the pubic are no longer adhering to the Standard Operating Procedures put in place by government, noting that it is high time security got tough.

“We have realized most of the people are not adhering to the guidelines.  Motorists and businesses are not respecting the 9pm curfew time. Boda boda riders are not respecting the 6pm time. Motorists are carrying passengers in a reckless manner. Curfew starts at 9pm but you find shops and other businesses still open past this time,”Enanga said.

“With effect from tomorrow Tuesday, the checkpoints and barriers we had in the outskirts of Kampala and major highways will be manned afresh. We are going to ensure they are active during day and night so as to intensify the enforcement of Covid guidelines.”

Following the lifting of the lockdown, security removed all roadblocks from various roads leading to the city centre but according to Enanga, the grace period by security has been abused by the public.

The police spokesperson explained that for the past months, they had decided to use “a holistic” approach by sensitizing and letting people use common sense to guard themselves against the spread of the virus but he noted this has not happened, considering the increasing cases of Coronavirus in the country.

“Some sectors like bars have been stealthily operating despite being closed but now we will look at the level of compliance of all the sectors to the COVID SOPs. All territorial commanders have been instructed by the Inspector General of Police to reinvigorate and intensify the enforcement mechanism on COVID-19,” Enanga said.

The police publicist warned that commanders who fail to implement the directive by the Inspector General of Police on enforcement of Coronavirus guidelines risk facing the Police disciplinary court.

Uganda has 9081 confirmed Coronavirus cases and 6109 of these have successfully recovered and discharged from various hospitals around the country and 93 have died since the first case was registered in March 2020.

President Museveni recently said that many Ugandans have adamantly refused to adhere to the Coronavirus guidelines put in place by government and that this is the reason for increased cases in the country.

“Ugandans don’t want to wear facemasks or observe social distance because they claim nobody has died of Coronavirus. If you are waiting for someone to die, you will get it. We have given you all the information to protect yourself. We don’t want to beg you please,” Museveni said while addressing the nation during the Heroes Day celebrations

“Ugandans are taking Coronavirus as a joke and waiting for presidential directive and police to force them to wear facemasks, social distance. When I pass through town, I see people are not bothered. They say, after all, nobody has died. When you die, don’t say Museveni has not told us. There is nothing we have not told you.”