Uganda weekly Covid cases reach 60

The Ministry of Health has said at least 60 new cases of Covid-19 infections are recorded weekly in the country, a number 10 times below the 580 reported weekly around this time last year.

Ms Margaret Muhanga, the state minister for Primary Healthcare, revealed this Wednesday while receiving a mobile laboratory donated by the European Union (EU) programme for supporting countries under Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

“Covid-19 threat is still there, but there is no [new] death because many of our people are vaccinated and others have built herd immunity [from previous Covid-19 infection],” Ms Muhanga said.

She revealed that most of the cases are reported from Kampala and Wakiso districts, the metropolitan area that has been disproportionately affected right from the outbreak of the pandemic. Scientists explained that overcrowding and having many frequent travellers are some of the reasons why high numbers of infections are reported in the area.  

Dr Allan Muruta, the commissioner for public health emergencies, told the Daily Monitor at the same event that the positivity rate for Covid-19 is less than 1 percent, a number which signifies the disease is under control. 

Dr Muruta said the new mobile laboratory brings the total number of such laboratories to three, a progress he said would increase turnaround time for laboratory tests and improve response to disease outbreaks.
“Previously, we could take samples to Uganda Virus Research Institute and results would take 2 days to come out but with mobile labs, you get results in hours,” he said.

Dr Hamid Idrees, the health expert at EU-IGAD Response Programme, said the mobile lab is worth EUR167300 (Shs700 million). He said the mobile lab would help Uganda improve its response to the outbreak of infectious disease.
The deputy ambassador of the EU in Uganda, Mr Guilaume Chartrain, said the mobile lab is essential in Uganda’s preparedness to respond to future outbreaks.

“By improving access to quality health services, especially in remote areas, this mobile lab represents an innovative response to that challenge, increasing our collective resilience and preparedness for the current and future crisis,” he said.