It is almost 3 months since the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) announced the closure of all national parks to tourism to control the spread of Covid-19 to the animals and also protect those working in those parks. The tourism industry has suffered heavily during the lockdown due to lack of business that used to sustain those employed in the sector in different categories like tour operators, hotel operators, tour guides, rangers, among others.

The Coronavirus pandemic has not only affected those employed in the tourism sector in Uganda but also the travelers and tourists who were forced to cancel or postpone their trips following the declaration of the lockdown. Some of them could not be fully refunded their monies while those who decided to postpone their trips now face uncertainty over the visiting dates since the tourism authority has not yet fixed them.

New hope

Following government move to start easing lockdown measures, last week UWA also announced that it has opened savannah parks for tourism though under strict measures to control the spread of the pandemic.

“This is under strict laws in order to prevent the spread of the pandemic,” said UWA executive director Sam Mwandah.

Wait continues for gorilla safaris

UWA announced that at the moment, only savannah parks will be open for tourism while primate parks that protect apes like mountain gorillas and chimpanzees will remain closed till further notes. This means that popular safaris like gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a home for Uganda’s mountain gorillas and chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest National Park are still on a stand still. Primates like gorillas and chimpanzees are very prone to contracting viruses from humans which may be very devastating in their communities and this is why authorities are very cautious before they can allow such safaris to resume. Both gorillas and chimpanzees share about 98 percent of the Human DNA and this explains such a close genetic relationship that exists among these three species of great apes

Green light for safaris in savannah parks

On the other hand, tourists are free to visit savannah parks which keep mostly mammals and birds and enjoy the wildlife experiences once again. Tourists will be able to enjoy activities like game drives, bird watching, and boat cruises, among others in their favorite savannah parks like Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Lake Mburo National Park and Kidepo Valley National Park. Some of the common species that can be seen in these parks include over 500 mammal species that include lions, buffaloes, elephants, leopards, antelopes, zebras, giraffes, among others and over 1000 bird species.

Safaris to be conducted in compliance with lockdown measures

UWA announced that although they are opening tourism activities in savannah parks, all trips will be conducted in compliance with the measures set by the government to control the spread of Covid-19.

“Trips to the parks are to be carried out in compliance with the laws stipulated by President Museveni and the Ministry of Health for vehicles transporting passengers. Groups of more than 25 passengers will not be allowed in but given an option to split into smaller groups. Events like weddings in the park, which are in vogue and Saloon vehicles are now prohibited,” added Mwandah.

In addition to observing the government-set measures, UWA also listed several guidelines that will be followed by tourists who wish visit the savannah parks. Some of the guidelines include the following;

All tourist will go through mandatory screening for Covid-19 before they are allowed to enter the parks

Mandatory hand washing at the entrances of national parks

All tourist vehicles will be required to carry half of their normal capacity

Tourists are encouraged to carry their own sanitizers and face masks

All those tourists who will be observed to have persistent cough during briefing will be isolated immediately and will not be allowed to visit animals

Tourists are required to maintain social distance before, during and after their activities in the national parks, among others

The ongoing lockdown brought about by the global pandemic of Covid-19 has painfully restricted people worldwide from traveling to their favorite spots be it for business, social and leisure purposes.

Likewise, in Uganda, the pandemic has limited people from traveling to some of the country’s popular spots for their well-known routines like beach life, adventure, leisure, cuisines, among others.

Here is the list of places for such lucrative activities in Uganda that are very famous among revelers and travelers.

Kampala

Kampala is Uganda’s hub for almost everything including business, entertainment and accommodation. Kampala dwellers usually hangout in the city’s very many hotspots like bars, clubs and pubs to enjoy nightlife after spending their day while hustling to make a living. in Kampala, you get exactly what you ask for with each reveler able to find a hotspot with packages that correspond well with the size of their wallet. Right from the city center to every corner and suburb of it, it’s just music and jamming every evening as revelers try to shake off the day’s stress while warming for that of the following day. This all-inclusive lavish nightlife makes Kampala one of the best if not the best hotspot for revelers in the country.

Entebbe

After enjoying all the fun that Kampala has got to offer, Entebbe provides the most immediate alternative for more fun-filled experiences but this time with a different version. The most attractive encounter at Entebbe for revelers is the beach life presented by the various beaches available at this famous peninsular along the northern shores of Lake Victoria, the second-largest fresh-water lake in the world. Unlike in Kampala where revelers flock clubs and pubs each night, majority revelers go to Entebbe beaches over the weekend usually starting from Friday to Sunday. At the beaches, revelers enjoy a variety of fun-filled activities like swimming, boat cruises, sand bathing, beach soccer, among others which are followed by a variety of foods and drinks to crown the evenings. Of course, cuisines like fish prepared in all formats dominates the menu and then a range of others can be added.

Jinja

The leisure life at Jinja does not differ much from that of Entebbe given that both are water-based outing places. Jinja is another adventurous hotspot located on the northeastern shores of Lake Victoria famous for being the source of the Nile, the longest river in the world. Majority of the revelers who got to Jinja mostly are attracted by adventurous encounters like the visiting the source of the Nile, white-water rafting in the bubbling waters of the Nile, bungee-jumping, kayaking, boat cruises, among others. This amazing hotspot is also surrounded by beautiful resorts and gardens where visitors usually go to relax, eat and drink after quenching their adventure thirst at the source of the Nile.

Fort Portal

Fort Portal is located in western Uganda and it is the gate way to Uganda’s tourism hub known for its abundant wildlife species and many other physical attractions like mountains and the Rift Valley. Fort Portal is mostly attractive because of its stunning environment made of beautiful natural attractions like wildlife, crater lakes, mountains, among others. Travelers who go to Fort Portal mainly aim to see these outstanding attractions and to relax in the cool environment with the beautiful sceneries.

Mbarara

Mbarara is located in the southwestern part of Uganda and it is commonly refereed to as the capital city of the region. The city is so cool and its visitors usually enjoy its calm environment while shopping is also one of the main agendas in the city. A short trip to Lake Mburo National Park from Mbabara for incredible safari activities like horseback riding, game viewing and boat cruise also makes the town more attractive.

President Museveni has provided an update on gorilla and chimpanzee tracking in Uganda during his 14th address of the nation on the state of COvid-19 in the country.

The president said that gorilla and chimpanzee tracking should remain closed to tourist in order to avoid the easy spread of the virus to apes and primates.

“Bwindi for mountain gorillas and Kibale Forest chimpanzees, we do not want the virus to spread to our relatives,” said the president.

In addition to gorilla safaris to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Kibale Forest National Park which protect mountain gorillas and chimpanzees respectively, the rest of the national parks in the country also remain closed to tourism.

The Uganda Wildlife Education Center (UWEC) the national zoo at Entebbe and the Jane Goodall Chimpanzee Sanctuary at Ngamba Island on Lake Victoria also remained closed to all tourist activities.

Unfortunately, both UWEC and Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary have also been affected by the rising water levels from Lake Victoria. Both have had to appeal for funds in order to feed the animals given the absence of revenue from tourists during the lockdown period.

President Museveni also acknowledged the contribution of the tourism industry to the economy of Uganda citing that the industry fetches the country over $1.6 billion per annum. However, the president said that caution has to be taken before tourists are allowed to come back into the country for safaris.

“International borders and airports remain closed to avoid the importation of new cases,” President Museveni said.

The tourism industry in Uganda is one of the most affected sectors by the Coronavirus pandemic with majority of those employed in the sector stuck at home with nothing to do following the suspension of tour activities.

In order to forge a way forward, the stakeholders in the industry led by their trade associations including the Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO), Uganda Safari Guides Association (USAGA), and Uganda Hotel Owners Association (UHOA) under their apex body Uganda Tourism Association (UTA) are engaged in several discussions with the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB).

The stakeholders are soliciting for assistance from government and donor agencies for support of employees, rent arrears, rescheduling of bank loans taken by hotels, lodges and tour operators. They are also seeking support to create a tourism fund for micro-credit, loans, social security, and tax benefits for sustainable business operations.

Covid-19 cases in Uganda

As the tourism sector in Uganda is waiting and hoping to resume operations soon, the country has so far registered 264 cases of Covid-19 of which 65 have recovered, 80 admitted in hospitals and no deaths. Some foreigners especially truck drivers from Kenya and Tanzania and a few Rwanda and Burundi nationals who have tested positive in Uganda have been sent back for treatment in their home countries.

Easing lockdown measures

According to the latest communication from the president, the current lockdown measures will be eased starting next week starting with allowing private cars to move on 26 May. Restrictions on public transport will be relaxed on 4 June but this will not apply to the border districts according to the president.

“Private cars will be allowed to move on the 26th May. For border districts, we shall not allow public or private transport. They are on the frontline. They are the ones that can either save or destroy us by allowing infiltration from neighboring countries. For public transport in the districts that are not near the border, this will be relaxed on June 4. During this time, those concerned will discuss with transporters and make sure everything is in order,” Mr. Museveni said in a televised address on Tuesday.

The president said that boda-bodas (motor cycles) should not carry passengers but may continue to carry cargo. On education, he said that officials from the Ministry of Education will on June 4 give guidance on how candidates/finalists will resume studies.

On shops and hotels, the president said that they can resume on May 26 while following social distancing and using face masks. He added that gyms, saunas, and night clubs will still be closed.

Uganda is popularly known as the “Pearl of Africa” due to her impressive natural beauty usually witnessed by visitors during their Uganda safari experiences like game viewing and gorilla trekking. The country is one of the fastest-growing countries in Africa and this is mainly steered by her rapid growing population. Uganda’s population is estimated to be around 42 million after almost doubling in the past two decades.

Commercial wise, the more the population grows in any society, the more services and goods are needed to sustain it and this means availability of business opportunities to those who are ready to exploit them.

With the above evidence, the following are the best business ventures in Ugandan that can be exploited to benefit from its rapid growing population and the fast-growing economy;

1. Agricultural production

Food is one the primary requirements in any society. With Uganda’s rapid growing population especially in urban areas, there has never been any better time when food is in such a high demand. Entrepreneurs who are engaged in production of different items including those that are cereal based, meat, fish, dairy, sugar and the processed are all in a very good position to make large sums of profits. The trivia is that many people in Uganda tend to shun villages in favor of living in urban areas. This makes the demand for food to be so high in the crowded urban areas since they are few people left in the villages to produce the food. Agricultural based products are one of the few items that have never lacked market in Uganda given the large population in demand. Secondly, Uganda also exports agricultural products abroad which widens the market further for the producers.

2. Restaurants

Just like agricultural products, the demand for ready food in urban centers has got the same or even a higher magnitude. The urban workers involved in both formal and casual jobs all need food starting from breakfast, lunch and supper. When you Set up a restaurant in a busy urban center you can never go wrong. For a more successful restaurant business, you need to be willing to be mobile and take the food to people’s work places to make it convenient for them not to disrupt their work.

3. Pharmaceutical services

Pharmaceutical services including providing medical care, selling drugs, veterinary, among others have got such a huge demand in Uganda. Disease-related problems in humans, animals and plants are one the most common in the country and therefore being at the center of providing solutions to such problems makes you one of the most sought-after entrepreneurs.

4. Transport services

There is no business without people being able to move from one place to another. There is a huge concentration of people in Uganda’s urban centers majorly for employment opportunities. Transport to and fro people’s work places is one of the most essential services needed in such communities. Medium motorists like taxis and boda-bodas can help to do this work well. The continuous movement of people from villages to towns and vice-vasa also presents a requirement for transport services. Buses, and coasters can be the best suited for these longer distances.

5. Education services

The rapid increase in Uganda’s population means that the government can no longer manage to provide education services to all school-going children. This presents a big opportunity for entrepreneurs to offer private education services. although many have ventured into this already but there is still a huge demand especially for better quality education and starting up one gives you an upper hand to succeed over the rest. The ultimate business opportunity in the education sector in Uganda lies more in the tertiary institutions which are still very few in the country compared to the growing number of students who need their services.

6. One-stop shopping centres

With a large population, the need for shopping cannot be over emphasized. However, there is also a changing trend in the people shop in Kampala and other urban centers. Nowadays people prefer to shop in one-stop centers where they can all they need without moving from one place to another looking for different items. Therefore, shopping malls selling a variety of products ranging from foods, medicine and cosmetics to wearing products, home accessories and electronics are given a priority. Convenience in shopping is highly considered these days.

7. Salon services

Salon services are one of the most sought-after in Uganda’s urban centers. Urban women constantly want to do their hair to look good and respectable at their work places. Men are also constantly shaving both their hair and beard which grow at a terrible speed. An adult man in the urban center trims 2 times a month on average and given the large number of men in towns this is a very big business opportunity to salon operators. To compete favorably, a fully equipped urban salon should also provide complementary services like pedicure, manicure and massage services.

8. Tourism

Tourism is one of the most profitable sectors in Uganda. With Uganda increasingly becoming one of the best hotspots for tourists in Africa due to her magnificent attractions like gorilla trekking, investing in tourism is so lucrative. The high influx of tourists into the country calls for local tour operators to arrange for them safaris and other services like accommodation and transport to enjoy their experience in the Uganda. Other opportunities in Uganda’s tourism industry including offering accommodation and catering services like hotels and lodges, transport and guiding services to tourists.

9. Banking and other financial finances

As Uganda’s economy continues to grow at a fast rate, the need for banking services also increases. The formal sector continues to enlarge in the country while workers in the informal sector are also getting familiar with using banking services which widens the market for such services. Banks which can manage offer customers friendlier services like low interest loans gain an advantage to compete favorably in the market. Other opportunities in Uganda’s financial sector include offering telecom based mobile money services, money lending, saving cooperatives and micro finance services.

10. Information Technology

Technological advancement in almost all economic activities has become inevitable in Uganda’s businesses. There is a growing need for businesses to go online, international or online marketing, building of information systems, and use of advanced information devices like computers. Therefore, experts and companies that can help such businesses solve this technology gap are highly needed in Uganda’s fast-growing economy.

11. Betting

Like in any urban society with many youth, betting is one of the major habits popular among them. Over 70 percent of Uganda’s population is made up of young people below 30 years. With the existing challenges like lack of employment, majority of these young people tend to turn to betting in order to make a fortune. Several betting companies have been started in the country but it seems there is still room for more given the presence of a large customer base.

The Uganda government is discussing the best approaches to follow when easing some of the lockdown measures that were put in place to control the spread of Covid-19 in the country.

President Museveni declared some tough measures on 18 March this year in an attempt to stop the spread of Corona virus in the country. These measures included closing of all schools, places of worship, and banning of public gatherings like concerts and political rallies. Others included banning both public and private transport and closing all non-food shops across the country.

In addition to the above measures, the president also ordered a countrywide curfew starting from 7pm to 6am. Since then, the country has been under a lockdown with people encouraged to stay at home and avoid all unnecessary movements.

Distribution of relief food

After declaring the lockdown, the government announced that it will be distributing food to the vulnerable groups of people in the two business districts of Kampala and Wakiso. The program started from Kampala in some of the most vulnerable communities spreading to other parts.

However, the mechanism used to distribute food has been criticized by people saying that it is too slow and some have also complained about the quality of the food distributed.

Plans to lift the lockdown

On Tuesday, as the president was addressing the nation on the current status of Covid-19 in the country, he hinted that the cabinet is discussing how to ease on some of the measures of the lockdown.

“When we announced the extension of the lockdown staying at home, we said it would end on May 5. But before that, our people are studying the situation intensely. We shall give you the new guidelines before the date of May 5 comes. We shall tell you what next. But what we shall give you will be determined by the study not suppositions, not just imposing things on the situation but on the studies being carried out quietly to know where we are in terms of the sickness.” Museveni said.

The current state of Covid-19 in Uganda

Uganda has so far confirmed 79 cases of Covid-19 of which 52 have recovered. Majority of the cases that have been registered lately of those truck drivers from Tanzania and Kenya who transport cargo into the country. Uganda has recorded the fewest number of Covid-19 cases in the region with neighboring countries like Kenya on 374 cases, Tanzania 299 cases, and Rwanda 207 cases.

Museveni’s stance on truck drivers

During his public address on Tuesday, President Museveni said that “it is absolutely suicidal to ban cargo”.

Following the recent trend of the Covid-19 cases in Uganda showing that the latest cases are coming from truck drivers from Kenya and Tanzania, many Ugandans have raged calling upon the president to stop them from entering the country. However, in his speech the president encouraged Ugandans to be patient with the situation.

“Until the train is fully operational, I appeal to Ugandans to swallow your anger and employ ‘amagezi’ (wisdom). Stopping cargo is not only suicidal but also unnecessary,” he argued.

“I say it is suicidal because, if we stop cargo, how will our coffee, and cotton, tea, milk, cement from factories and food move?”

The president also pointed to the revised directive that long-distance trucks must have only one occupant, the driver, as opposed to the initial three and he said that is safer.

On the impact of Covid-19 on Uganda’s economy

While commenting on the negative impact Covid-19 may impose on Uganda’s economy, the president dismissed what the doomsayers are saying. He pointed at other sectors of the economy that are doing well like manufacturing.

“Tourists are not coming …but manufacturing is going up. For example, the price of sanitizers, soap has gone up because people use them to clean hands regularly,” Museveni argued.

“The price of coffee has improved because when people stay at home they grow more coffee,” he added.

“We need to adjust for the economy to grow, for the tourism sector will boom when you handle the manufacturing side well,” Museveni said.

The tourism industry in Uganda and in the world at large has suffered some of the biggest setbacks brought about by the outbreak of COVID-19. In most African countries including Uganda the pandemic has read to the closure of all National Parks and other tourist destinations which has dealt wildlife safaris a big blow.

Counting losses

As a result of shutting down tourist activities, other related businesses like hotels and lodges have also found themselves with no work hence ceasing their operations. This has led to a large number of people who were previously employed in such businesses to lose their jobs while others were placed on temporary leaves with very few still getting any financial assistance.

Tour guides are the other group people who have been crying foul over the pandemic after. They have been left in with nothing at all to do since the tourists they used to drive to these destinations are now banned from entering the country in an effort to control further importation of the virus.

For tour operators, their fear goes beyond the current effects of the pandemic on the industry to the long-term outcomes. There is anticipation that even when the current lockdown is lifted, tour operations may take long to get back to normal and profitable as it was before the outbreak.

The major cause of this fear is the fact that majority of the tourists have been coming from countries that are badly hit by the pandemic including the United States, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, China, among others. There is anticipation that the current lockdown in such countries may take long to be lifted hence not allowing the potential tourists to travel. Secondly, even when these countries start allowing their people to travel, the recipient countries including Uganda may not be ready to allow them to come into the country as they may still be holding onto their travel restrictions.

Rescheduling and cancellation of bookings

According to tour operators and hotel managers, some of the travelers reacted to the pandemic by either cancelling their bookings or rescheduling them to later dates. However, those who cancelled their bookings were asking to be refunded their money they had sent something that put the recipients of such money in a huge dilemma.

For those that decided to reschedule their trips, the tour operators and park authorities now face a tussle a fixing an appropriate time for such trips without affecting any other arrangements.

Protection of animals

Within the game reserves, strict measures have been taken to ensure that animals are well-protected from being infected by Coronavirus. Scientists had earlier warned that if not protected well, the virus may be very devastating if spread to animals like mountain gorillas and other primates. With such cautions, park authorities moved quickly to put in place some strict measures to protect the animals including banning all tour activities in national parks. Others including limiting both the number of field workers who meet the animals every day to check on their wellbeing and the number of hours they spend with them. Workers in the parks are also encouraged to put in practice all the other measures that were put in place to control the spread of the virus including washing hands, sanitizing and social distancing.

Current Covid-19 status in Uganda

Currently, Uganda has registered 55 confirmed cases of coronavirus with about 20 recoveries who have been discharged already meaning that only 35 patients are still quarantined. Earlier this week President Museveni extended the lockdown by more 21 days until 5 May.

The number of coronavirus cases in Uganda has risen to 18 as announced by President Museveni on Friday. Before Friday’s announcement, Uganda had 14 confirmed cases which included 2 Chinese nationals and 12 Ugandans.

According to the president, the 4 people who tested positive had been under institutional quarantine in the various hotels identified by the sub-committee on quarantine.
“Yesterday, the 26th of March, another 197 people were tested and many of them were returnees from Dubai or other category one countries, only four tested positive. These four had been under institutional quarantine in the various hotels identified by the sub-committee on quarantine,” said the President in a message posted on his social platforms. The president added that the victims had been evacuated to Mulago National Referral Hospital for treatment.

“It seems, therefore, that the efforts of identifying by the temperature monitoring at the airport, quarantining the people on whom there’s some suspicion and tracing the ones who escaped from the quarantine is working well,” he said.

About the 14 patients who were already hospitalized at Entebbe, Mulago and Masaka, the president said that they are responding well to the treatment and seem to be improving.

Police foil traders in Kampala over Coronavirus

Meanwhile there has been a scuffle in the capital Kampala between traders and the Police over the presidential directives that were issued to control the spread of coronavirus in the country. On Thursday the police arrested several traders across the city while others were beaten up for opening their shops which the police interpreted as disobeying the presidential directive. However, traders claim that the president did not order closure of businesses especially those in arcades though the police insist that most of the businesses attract a huge gathering of people which is against the presidential directive.

On Wednesday the President Museveni issued some additional measures to guide the public after it was announced that Uganda’s confirmed Coronavirus had increased to 14. Among the new measures, the president ordered the closure of public transport including cyclists who carry passengers, open markets apart from those who sell food stuffs in such markets and limiting the number of workers in public offices. This was the president’s fifth public address in a period of one week in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

Following the new presidential directives, the following day on Thursday, the police started arresting several people especially those found on motorcycles and those who had gathered in several trading centers.
Following the chaos, the Minister for trade Hon. Amelia Kyambadde came out to give some clarity on presidential orders regarding traders. She said that the Police should stop beating up traders but rather guide them on how to observe and follow the presidential directives. The minister added that the president did not stop vendors who operate in arcades running business like salon, restaurants and selling other merchandise. However, she called upon traders to avoid having a crowd around their businesses and advised that people should avoid crowding in one area as much as possible to control the spread of Coronavirus.

Still on Thursday, two men who were traveling from Seeta to Namugongo on a motorcycle were shot by police officers for disobeying presidential directives. The two victims are currently admitted at Mukono General Hospital.

Uganda confirmed its first case of Coronavirus (COVID-19) late on Saturday when unidentified male, 36 tested positive at Entebbe International Airport following his return from a business trip in Dubai. The patient was identified as a resident of Kibuli in Kakungulu Village in Kampala. This meant Uganda had joined other regional countries like Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Democratic Republic of Congo and other African countries that had confirmed cases of COVID-19 earlier

Following the confirmation of the first COVID-19 case in Uganda, President Museveni declared additional and stricter guidelines to the public in order to control further spreading of the pandemic in the country. As part of the new guidelines, the President directed the closure of all borders to both incoming and outgoing passengers. Airports were also directed not to allow passenger planes but cargo planes can continue operation. The president also cautioned Ugandans on using public transport advising them to avoid them and instead stay at home if they don’t have their private means of transport.
The president also emphasized the need for Ugandans to stay vigilant while practicing control measures like hand-washing, social distancing, and places that were recently restricted like bars, churches and markets.

Earlier, the president had directed the closure of schools, places of worship, and bars for at least 32 days as a measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19 that has already ravaged other places around the world. All these measure came in addition to travel guidelines that have been set including stopping travelers from high-risk countries from coming to Uganda. Several quarantine places had also been set up to contain those who are suspected to be showing the symptoms of COVID-19. Other travelers were also advised to go under self-isolation for a period of 14 days.

Travelers were now subjected to forceful quarantine and at their own cost if they decided to go against the guidelines given before all travels were finally suspended. On Sunday President Museveni also suggested that the government is considering talking to owners of some schools that were recently vacated by students to allow some travelers to be quarantined from there.
There has been a public outcry among people who have been affected by the directives given by the president last week. These include traders who have been selling their merchandise in weekly markets who were stopped by the police from doing their business as measure of stopping the spread of coronavirus. Others include bar owners and their clients who were arrested over the same. Affected traders and business owners claim that they will unable to feed their families and cater for other expenses if they are not allowed to business where they have been getting income.

How is the COVID-19 situation globally so far?

On the African continent, the coronavirus pandemic has so far spread to 43 countries with only 11 countries unaffected so far. Over 1,000 cases have been reported around the continent while 37 have died already and 108 have recovered. Some of the most affected countries in Africa include Egypt, Algeria, and South Africa with each having over 200 cases so far.

Globally, Italy remains the most affected country in the world with over 50,000 cases and over 5,000 deaths. The global number of confirmed cases currently is about 337,000 cases, over 15,000 deaths while about 100,000 have recovered from COVID-19.

As coronavirus rapidly spreads the world, the Ministry of Health has issued an update on Uganda’s enhanced measures to prevent importation of this world pandemic as recently declared by the World Health Organization (WHO).

According to the Ministry of Health, Uganda has no confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of 11th March 2020. However, the ministry adds that although no cases have been confirmed so far, a total of 1,632 travelers including Ugandans travelling back home have been identified as high-risk and identified for purposes of follow up.

Here is the full statement released and signed by the Minister for Health, Hon. Jane Ruth Aceng on the update of Uganda’s measures to prevent the importation of Coronavirus.

“The Ministry of health would like to update the general public on the progress of the country’s enhanced measures to prevent the importation of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) into the country;

This outbreak has now spread to all continents and 109 countries, territories and areas are currently affected. As of 10th March 2020, WHO reported that 61 countries have local transmission of COVID-19 while 6 countries are under investigation.

Current Global Situation

As of 10th March 2020, globally, 113,702 confirmed cases have been reported with over 4,000 deaths. In Africa, 11 countries have reported cases of COVID-19. These are Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Cameroon, Togo, Burkina Faso and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Uganda’s current situation

Uganda has no confirmed case of COVID-19 as of 11th March 2020. However, to date a total of 1,632 travelers including Ugandans and traveling back home have been identified as high-risk and identified for purposes of follow up. Of these, 1,071 are Chinese, 244 are Ugandans, 43 are Italians, 34 from South Korea and 484 are other nationals.
A total of 986 travelers are under self-quarantine, of which 606 have completed the mandatory 14 days of self-quarantine. So far, samples from 26 persons who presented with signs and symptoms similar to that of COVID-19 have been tested. All tested negative.

The Government of Uganda has reviewed the evolution of the COVID-19 outbreak in the affected countries, categorized them and recommends several measures for the different categories. Based on the current trend of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Ministry of Health has revised the categories of countries upon assessing the risk of importation from affected countries.

Criteria used for categorization

Three criteria were used to rank the countries; the criteria were weighed based on their importance in assessing the risk of importation from affected countries.

1 Number of total (cumulative) cases: The higher the number of cumulative cases, the higher the chances

2 Number of cases in the last 24 hours. This is a measure of active transmission of COVID-19 in the countries.

3 Exponential increase in cases in the last 7 days – This is an indication of community transmission of COVID-19. This was measured indirectly by the percentage increase in the number of cases I the last 7 days.
The countries that had cumulative number of cases of more than 100 and/or had more than 10 new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours (total of 19) were ranked using the above criteria and scoring.

Category 1:

People residing in the following 16 countries (Italy, San Marino, Iran, South Korea, France, China, Germany, Spain, Belgium, USA, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Austria and Malaysia) should consider postponing non-essential travel to Uganda. Any traveler from these countries including Uganda nationals will be subjected to se-quarantine for 14 days on arrival to Uganda even if they don’t exhibit signs and symptoms of COVID-19. Additionally, individuals highlighted in category 1 who insist on visiting Uganda will be subjected to self-quarantine or institutional (health facility) quarantine at their own cost.

Six countries previously in category 2; UK, Switzerland, Norway, Netherlands, Sweden, and United States of America have moved to category one because of the increase in the number of new cases per day and cumulative number of cases.
Whereas China has largely controlled the COVID-19 outbreak, and they recorded 20 new cases as of 10th March 2020, the cumulative number of cases remain high and they have not recorded zero cases for 14 days.

Category 2:

For the following countries (Finland, Philippines, Indonesia and Pakistan), the Ministry of Health will observe the travelers very closely and the evolution of the outbreak in these countries and advise on any restrictions in the coming weeks. India previously in category 2 has dropped to category 3.

Category 3:

The rest of the countries will undergo the routine screening upon arrival and and be advised accordingly on the measures to undertake while in country to prevent infection and where to report in not feeling well.

This analysis will be reviewed weekly and the travel advisory updated every Wednesday beginning 11th March, 2020.

Any of the above countries that successfully contains the outbreak will be removed from this list after 14 days with no new cases.

The Ministry of Health working with Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is considering spraying all travelers who arrive into the country as they disembark from the aircraft with a disinfectant spray.

The Ministry of Health has also developed guidelines for self-quarantine which should be adhered to by all travelers from the high-risk countries who come into the country and opt for self-quarantine.

SELF-QUARANTINE

The Ministry of Health has defined self-quarantine as the transparent self-restriction of persons’ activities when they are not ill with COVID-19 for the purposes of protecting unexposed members of the communities from contracting the disease should at any rist traveler become sick.

This is particularly important for persons who may have been in contact with a person who has symptoms of COVID-19 or is suffering from the disease or has traveled from one of the areas with high transmission of COVID-19.

This means one will stay at his/her home, hotel room or any identified accommodation without mixing with family members or the general public for the period of 14 days.

All individuals who are under self-quarantine are advised to observe the following prevention and control measures:

Stay in well-ventilated room away from other people such as family members preferably with separate hygiene and toilet facilities. If you share the same hygiene and toilet facilities, ensure you disinfect it after use using regular household disinfectant or soap and water

If you are working, stay at home for the entire duration of the quarantine (14 days).

Ensure that you have adequate food, water, hygiene provisions and appropriate medical treatment for existing medical conditions while in self-quarantine.

Ensure that you have the necessary communication facilities e.g. mobile telephone to communicate with family members and other people while in quarantine.

Always wash your hands with soap and water regularly or use an alcohol-based hand rub.

Cover your nose and mouth with a handkerchief or tissue when coughing and sneezing. Throw away used tissue immediately into a dustbin or bun it and wash your hands immediately with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub. The handkerchief must be washed and ironed by you daily

Stay away from pets, as there is a chance that humans can pass the disease to them.

Avoid sharing toothbrushes, utensils, dishes, drinks, towels, clothes or bed linen with anybody in your home.

Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces such as doorknobs/handles, bedside, tables, bedframes, and other bedroom furniture daily with regular household disinfectant or soap.

Clean and disinfect bathroom and toilet surfaces at least once a day with regular household disinfectant of soap.

If you develop symptoms of acute respiratory infection, including fever, cough, sore throat and difficulty in breathing, please call for immediate help on the telephone numbers below.

I would like to re-assure the public that Government continues to strengthen its interventions in preventing the importation of COVID-19. In the same vein, we continue to appeal to the general public to practice the following preventive measures at all times:

1 Avoid hand-shaking and hugging at all times

2 Avoid close contact with people who are visibly sick with flu-like symptoms (fever, cough, sneeze).

3 When sick with flu-like symptoms avoid going to public places, offices and public gatherings. Remain at home to avoid infecting others.

4 You don’t need to wear medical masks if you don’t have respiratory symptoms such as cough, sneezing or running nose.

5 Don’t take self-medication such as antibiotics.

6 Do NOT spit in public. Find a secluded place toilets or pit latrines in which to spit

7 Delay travel to countries that have that currently have many patients with COVID-19. If you MUST travel, please follow the protective measures.

8 Avoid travel if you flu-like symptoms.

The Ministry of Health would like to encourage the general public to always verify information from the Ministry to avoid spreading false rumors which may cause unnecessary anxiety.

The public is also advised to report any suspected cases to the nearest health facility or call our toll-free lines on 0800-203-033 and 0800-100-066 or the following officers – Mr. Atek Kagirita 0782 909 153, Dr. Allan Muruta 0772 460 297. Thank you.”