153 people quarantined in Rakai, Kyotera

Health teams in Rakai and Kyotera districts have quarantined 153 people suspected to have been exposed to coronavirus.
Dr Edward Muwanga, the Kyotera health officer, said out of the 66 quarantined people in the district, 24 are police officers who have been taking part in operations of enforcing lockdown at various porous border points in Kamuli, Ntantamukyi and Kamwema areas.

“The police officers placed under quarantine have been working at risky border points. The security authorities have already deployed other police officers and UPDF soldiers to replace them,” Dr Muwanga said on Monday.
He said together with Masaka Regional Referral Hospital, they had secured a hotel for health staff attached to Mutukula border to reduce their regular movement from Masaka to Mutukula.

Rakai and Kyotera districts are near the Uganda-Tanzanian border.
Tanzania, unlike other East African Community neighbours, has not declared a nationwide lockdown, but has closed schools and colleges, banned social gatherings, prohibited unnecessary movements and suspended international flights.
By yesterday, Tanzania had recorded 509 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 21 fatalities.
Dr Moses Sakor, the Rakai health officer, said they have 28 people in institutional quarantine at the District Agricultural Technical Institute in Lwanda Sub-county while 59 others are observing self isolation.

“We are trying to keep these people by zoning those at a higher risk in one place and also isolate those with a lesser risk in a different place. We have also sensitised the community on the dangers of the pandemic and how it spreads,” he said.
Dr Sakor added that they were worried about feeding the quarantined people. “The Covid-19 taskforce has offered some food and other basics such as sugar, soap, sponges, jerrycans, and salt to the quarantined people, but we still need more,” he said.
Mr Ben Nuwamanya, the district police commander, said they had received about 30 UPDF soldiers to monitor Kamuli in Kibanda Sub-county, a porous entry point used by herdsmen to cross to either side of the border.

Deployment
“The UPDF soldiers will be assisted by police officers and other security operatives to block unnecessary movements of stubborn Ugandans and Tanzanians in Kamuli and the nearby villages of Tanzania,” he said.
Five people have so far tested positive for Covid-19 in Rakai and are currently undergoing treatment at Masaka hospital.
Last Friday, Uganda registered 13 new Covid-19 cases, the highest number in a single day, bringing the total number of cases to 114.
On Saturday and Sunday, another seven new cases were recorded, bringing Uganda’s tally to 121.

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