21 Ministry of Finance staff test positive for Covid-19
KAMPALA- The Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development has asked its security to ensure that all uninvited visitors present Covid-19 certificates before accessing the premises.
This is after 21 of their staff tested positive for Covid-19 following a testing exercise between August 19 and 21.
Mr Keith Muhakanizi, the permanent secretary, yesterday said the ministry will continue to undertake meetings using online platforms and that the public should avoid unnecessary visits to the offices.
“Interim results have indicated that at least 21 positive cases so far have been identified. In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, we have contacted all staff and placed them under medical care. Their immediate close contacts will be subjected to mandatory isolation and quarantine,” he said.
Mr Muhakanizi added that workforce has been scaled down to critical staff to minimise direct contact and maintain zero tolerance to laxity to safety protocols.
Some of the other workplaces that have so far registered Covid-19 cases include; Malaysia Furnishing, Royal Pharma, NRM Secretariat and media houses such as NBS, NTV, BBS, New Vision, among others.
On Monday, the Ministry of Health confirmed 2,362 Covid-19 cases, with 99 new cases and two new deaths. The two latest deaths are a 35-year-old female trader from Kikuubo, Kampala, and a 36-year-old male from Kisenyi, a city suburb.
This brings the total number of deaths to 22 and 1,248 recoveries. Most of the cases are still being registered in Kampala.
Meanwhile, Ministry of Health has set up Covid-19 collection sites in Kampala and Wakiso.
These sites include Kiswa Health Centre IV Bugolobi, Kibuli hospital, Kiira Health Centre IV, Kasangati Health Centre IV, Kawaala Health Centre IV, and International Hospital Kampala, among others.
Dr Henry Mwebesa, the director general of health services at the Ministry of Health, said testing for alert cases and contacts to previously confirmed cases is free for all individuals accessing the government health facilities.
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