Govt confirms 423 new Covid-19 cases ahead of Museveni virus address

The Ministry of Health has confirmed 423 new Covid-19 infections, one of the highest figures reported in weeks, as Uganda’s confirmed cases on Saturday rose to 6,017.
Further, the ministry officials said two more people had succumbed to the virus, bringing the country’s total fatalities to 63 since March 2020 when the virus outbreak was confirmed in the country.
The new deaths were registered in Kampala and Mpigi districts.

Of the new cases registered, 411 are contacts and alerts from Moroto (166), Kampala (85), Butaleja (59), Mukono (27), Lira (14),Mbale (10),Wakiso (9), Luwero (6),Buikwe (5),Kisoro (4),Gulu (3),Bududa (5),Jinja (4),Kumi (3), Kanungu (1), Kapchorwa (4),Mpigi (1), Soroti (3),Mityana (1) and Sironko (1).
Additionally, 12 of the new cases are returnees from Saudi Arabia (8), India (3) and Jordan (1), according to Dr Henry Mwebesa, the director general health services.

Meanwhile, authorities say 2,581 people who previously tested positive for the virus have recovered after treatment and have been discharged from hospitals across the country.
Health officials blame the surge in cases on complacency among citizens, some of whom have stopped observing the Ministry of Health guidelines to contain the spread of the virus, such as, washing hands, observing social distancing, wearing facemasks while in public, among others.

The Ministry’s report comes just hours to president Museveni’s scheduled Sunday address on Covid-19.
In the address scheduled tomorrow at 8pm, the president is expected to announce further measures government intends to undertake to contain the spread of the virus.
Mr Museveni is also expected to address the issue of easing restrictions on schools, places of worship, bars and border districts which have been under the virus-induced lockdown since March this year.