Kaliro district headquarters have been closed down after 70 out of 100 government employees tested positive for the COVID 19 virus.
The Resident District Commissioner Kaliro, Billy Mulindwa said the district COVID 19 task force instructed all the district political, technical staff undergo compulsory tests after three top officials developed symptoms. Their results returned positive.
Mulindwa, who is also the chairperson COVID 19 task force said all the employees who tested positive had been instructed to undergo isolation avoid interacting with members of the public in a bid to curb infections.
“We have asked the employees to self isolate themselves within their homesteads because they pose a great threat to the public in case they move around,“ she said.
She said the district headquarters will only be re-opened after instructions from the Ministry of Health which will carry out the fumigation of the entire premises.
“Since over half of the technical and political staff are away after contracting the COVID 19 virus, work is likely to resume after a long period since we are not certain when they will recover,” she said.
Mulindwa said five people have died in the district within a period of one week due to COVID 19 while 22 others are admitted at the Namugongo isolation unit in Namugongo Sub County after results tested positive for COVID.
She blamed the spike in Covid-19 infections on reluctance by residents to follow the Ministry of Health guidelines on how to avoid infection.
“People up to now still think that the disease is political not knowing they could potential victims at one time or another,“ she said.
Mulindwa said that security personnel will soon conduct operations in rural areas to arrest people disregarding the presidential directive on curfew hours or social gatherings.
The LC 5 chairman Kaliro,Elija Kagoda urged politicians to sensitize locals about the dangers of overcrowding especially in trading centers besides encouraging them wear face masks to avoid contracting COVID 19 virus.
“This disease is real and it’s killing people on a daily basis,” he warned.
Kagoda warned that if numbers continue to rise, health workers will not be able to treat everyone.
The district health officer Kaliro, Doctor Allan Katamba urged members of the public report persons with COVID 19 symptoms to health workers or local council officials for necessary action.
So far at least 132 have tested positive for COVID-19 in the district with 5 registered deaths, according to the RDC Billy Mulindwa.
