Covid-19: OPM staff go into self-quarantine
Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda went into self-isolation on Friday. PHOTO | FILE
All the staff at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) who came close to the Covid-19 cases confirmed on Friday have been told to go into self-quarantine.
Mr Julius Mucunguzi, the OPM spokesperson, yesterday told Daily Monitor that those working on the same floor with the infected staff are all in self-isolation.
“It does not mean everybody in the office of 500 staff go in self-isolation. No. The Ministry of Health guidelines do not say that. But there are those who were close [to the cases].
There are people on the same level, the same room, yes, but it is not the entire Office of the Prime Minister,” Mr Mucunguzi said.
However, Mr Mucunguzi did not disclose the number of people that had gone into self-isolation.
On Friday, the Prime Minister, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, announced he was going into self-quarantine after his staff tested positive of Covid-19.
“Friends, I have gone into self-isolation after some of my contacts tested positive for Covid-19. My own test result is negative, however, I have taken this decision as a health recommended measure,” he tweeted.
Ministers tested
All the ministers have been tested to avoid transmission of the disease during Cabinet meetings.
Dr Ruth Jane Aceng, the Health Minister, said those who were tested for on Friday have been given their results.
Dr Aceng, however, did not disclose the results of 31 cabinet ministers and 49 ministers of state.
It was earlier reported that only ministers who are negative will be allowed to attend the Cabinet meetings which are held every Monday.
Ms Aceng said there is no need for the ministers who had interacted closely with Dr Rugunda to go in self-isolation because the Prime minister tested negative.
“Why should they be in isolation? Cabinet has been very strict since the onset of this pandemic. Take note that state ministers do not attend Cabinet and that was to create space. So in Cabinet, we sit at least two metres apart from each other. We are really spaced,” Dr Aceng said yesterday.
She said there are strict guidelines during the meetings which are chaired by President Museveni.
“We do not interact with each other by rule. We do not touch each other, each of us has a microphone. When you enter Cabinet, there is screening and sanitising. When we exit, the meeting room is fumigated,” the minister said.
Mr John Mitala, the secretary to Cabinet, said the meeting will still be held at State House today.
Dr Aceng said Cabinet ministers have all been prepared by Ministry of ICT in case there is need to hold a virtual meeting.
Ms Judith Nabakooba, the Minister for Information, ICT and Communications, said all the Cabinet ministers are on zoom. “It (Cabinet meeting) is going to take place because the Prime Minister did not test positive, and we all did tests,” Ms Nabakoba said.
More 23 new Covid-19 cases were registered yesterday, bringing the total number of cases to 616.
OFFICES FUMIGATED
Over the past days, a number of workers of government entities such Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) have tested positive for Covid-19. The KCCA spokesperson, Mr Peter Kaujju, yesterday said their offices were fumigated following the confirmation of four KCCA staff who tested positive on Friday.
According to a statement issued on Saturday by Mr Andrew Kitaka, the KCCA executive director, all the directors were asked to reduce the number of staff at work.
“Directors are, therefore, once again requested to review their staff requirements and remain with only staff whose services cannot be postponed and can only be delivered while at office. The rest of the staff should work from home,” Mr Kitaka said.
