Govt rules out lockdown as Corona returns to Kabale

Government has ruled out lockdown as one of the containment measures against a resurgence of Coronavirus in Kabale District in western Uganda where five people have been isolated after testing positive with the virus on Tuesday.
The Ministry of Health spokesperson, Mr Emmanuel Ainebyoona on Thursday said the positivity rate is minimal and that there is treatment for the symptomatic patients.

“Although we are waiting for the report from Kabale regional referral hospital about the status of the isolated patients, there will be no lockdown in the district because the positivity rate is minimal and there is treatment for the symptomatic patients,” Mr Ainebyoona said.
On Wednesday, the consultant physician at Kabale regional referral hospital, Dr Anne Marion Namutebi confirmed that five patients that tested positive with the virus had been isolated at the medical ward and that they were responding to treatment.

She also confirmed that they had received a consignment of Paxlovid medicines for the treatment and the consignment was from the American government through the Uganda’s Ministry of Health although she appealed to the public to embrace quick screening in case they present signs and symptoms of Covid-19 like headache, fever, cough and general body weakness.
“We have medicines that treat Covid-19 unlike in the past when there was none. The American government in collaboration with the ministry of health has provided medicine called Paxlovid which is now available in the hospital as treatment for the Covid 19 patients,” Dr Namutebi said.

She added that; "Since the final weeks of December 2023, we have recorded eight cases of Covid 19 patients. Currently, there are five admissions, one patient has been discharged, and four are still undergoing medication. Most of them presented with flu-like symptoms, cough, and related conditions before they tested positive to Covid 19," Dr Namutebi said.
She added that they were hopeful that widespread vaccination against Covid-19 will mitigate the impact, although it will remain a challenge to some Ugandans that were not vaccinated.

According to Mr Henry Kanya, the hospital epidemiologist, 54 percent of the population in Kigezi sub-region, equivalent to 400,253 people, has received vaccination.
Mr Alfred Besigensi, the Kabale District Health Educator, stressed the importance of public participation in vaccination and adherence to safety measures.

"We urge the public to get vaccinated, practice mask-wearing, use sanitizers, and avoid crowded places to curb the virus's spread," Mr Besigensi urged.
The Kabale resident District Commissioner Mr Godfrey Nyakahuma said that he was yet to meet the District health officer and other health experts in the district to formulate a work method that will prevent further spread of the disease.

“For now we cannot constitute a district Covid-19 task force until we get guidance from the ministry of health. I will sit with the health experts in the district to put in place mechanisms that will stop further spread of the disease. We advise our people to start observing the standard operating procedures such as washing hands with soap, wearing masks and among others,” Mr Nyakahuma said.

On May 5, 2023, World Health Organization Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the end of the global health emergency for COVID-19. However, he clarified that this did not mean the virus was no longer a global health threat. Instead, countries were advised to transition from emergency mode to managing COVID-19 alongside other infectious diseases.
By November 2023, 72 percent of people worldwide had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, with 13.6 billion doses administered globally, significantly reducing severe illness and hospitalizations.