The Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has announced new measures as he moves to ease the nationwide lock down because of the coronavirus pandemic.
In his 14th televised address on the Coronavirus disease-Covid19 pandemic- Museveni promised to ease restrictions on key areas including both private and public transport within the next two weeks when government distributes masks to all Ugandans across the country.
“Both the public and private transport will be allowed to resume, but will only carry half of their capacity,” Museveni said on Monday evening.
“This will only happen after we have distributed masks to all Ugandans starting from six years of age and above.”
The president said government had already directed the Jinja based Nytil Textile industry to start producing masks for nationwide distribution.
“We hope these masks will be ready within the next 14 days. It will be compulsory for all Ugandans to wear masks in public places at all times,” the president said.
The president, however, said public transport to districts bordering Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan and Tanzania will remain suspended until June 02, 2020.
Majority of Uganda’s Coronavirus cases, have come from truck drivers moving in and outside the country. There are 260 confirmed Covid19 cases in Uganda, more than half of them truck drivers.
He also noted that no truck driver will be allowed into the country unless they have tested for Covid19 and issued with their results.
“We have already made plans to test truck drivers at the borders. Only those who test negative will be allowed into Uganda,” he said.
He also said government will allow general merchandise shops to resume operations under strict regulations with the exception of those found in malls and market.
“The people in the malls will have to wait because they are often congested, which makes physical distancing a little difficult. We shall need to study how to go about that,” he said.
Contributed by Ahmed Wetaka, Kampala-Uganda
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