Panic as Gulu inmates test positive for Covid-19

Fear has gripped residents living around Pece Prison in Pece Division, Gulu City, after two inmates tested positive for Covid-19.

The two patients have been isolated and are undergoing treatment at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital. Also, 254 inmates and 40 staff at the prison have been put under quarantine.

Those who tested positive were remanded to the prison at the beginning of last week and were all from Amuru District.

Amuru is vulnerable given its location at the border with South Sudan.

“Those who were in contact with the confirmed cases are all under quarantine and they will be cleared after 14 days. Those who tested positive had been remanded to the prisons last week,” the spokesperson of Uganda Prisons Service, Mr Frank Baine, said.

He added that they have relocated 300 inmates from Kitgum Main Prison to Orom Prison in Kitgum and Lututuli prison in Lamwo District so that a quarantine centre for inmates is created.
“We have consistently created several quarantine centres across the country in order to avoid new entrants from mixing with old inmates,” Mr Baine said.

Pece Prison is surrounded by many homesteads.

Ms Alice Aguti, a resident of Pece Division, said she plans to relocate to her ancestral home in Kitgum to avoid contracting the deadly virus.

The prison is located about 100kms away from her home.

“I would be putting my life and that of my family at a great risk if I stayed here,” she said.

Ms Elina Akello, 77, a landlord, said most of her tenants have already given her vacation notices.

“Some haven’t cleared my rent arrears of four months and they are telling me that they want to relocate due to the confirmed Covid-19 cases. I have cleared them to go since it’s for their safety,” she said.

Mr Deus Kalangwa Oyo, a resident, appealed for more sensitisation of the masses against the disease.

He added that eight of his neighbours have already vacated the area for fear of catching Covid-19.

Government is yet to distribute free masks to the entire Gulu City.

Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, also Gulu Woman MP Betty Aol Ocan said all institutions should ensure that residents wear facemasks to avoid the spread of the virus.

“There is no need to panic from the neighbouring communities, the surveillance team will make sure that no one enters and comes out of the quarantine place until the 14 days elapse,” she said.

This is also an eye opener to us that a lot has to be done before one is remanded to any prison in the country,’’ she said.

So far, five people have succumbed to Covid-19 in Uganda, with community infections continuing to rise.
Cases so far
As of yesterday, Uganda had a total of 1,203 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with and 1,045 recoveries. Covid-19 continues to accelerate with more than 700,000 cases and 12,000 deaths reported in Africa so far.