Uganda records highest single-day Covid cases

Uganda on Tuesday, June 1, registered 1,083 Covid-19 cases out of 6283 samples, the highest number ever recorded in a day as per Ministry of Health statistics.

The Ministry of Health data shows the new cases have pushed the total number of infections to 49,759 and the total number of deaths to 365, after one more fatality was registered on June 1.

Until yesterday, the highest cases recorded in the first wave in a day stood at 701.
But in the last seven days, a total of 5,163 Covid-19 cases have been registered out of 34,535 samples tested, with Kampala contributing 68.3 per cent. This means of the cases registered in the country for the past seven days, nearly seven of every 10 cases are from Kampala.

Mr Emanuel Ainebyoona, the Ministry of Health spokesperson, noted that the public vigilance in Kampala has improved following the spike in cases compared to last month.

Last Saturday, President Museveni advised Ugandans living upcountry to avoid travelling to Kampala and Wakiso districts
 where he said Covid-19 cases are escalating.
The President is set to address the nation on Sunday and spell out new measures intended to curb the spike in infections.

At least 522 Covid-19 patients are admitted to different health facilities across the country. Efforts to get the breakdown of the admissions in different hospitals from the Ministry of Health were futile by press time.

Dr Rosemary Byanyima, the deputy executive director of Mulago National Referral Hospital, said most of the cases they are handling are severe and all age groups are affected, unlike during the first wave last year when the elderly were the most affected.

As of Wednesday, Mulago had 173 patients both in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the High Dependency Unit (HDU). Dr Byanyima said more patients are being admitted to the units. 

Dr Nathan Onyachi, the Masaka Regional Referral Hospital director, said recently they lost a 42-year-old, who did not have comorbidities, to Covid-19.  “They (Covid-19 patients) should be four. As of yesterday (Wednesday), they were two but there were two admissions pending in the emergency area,” he said.

Dr Onyachi said at the moment, the hospital does not have an ICU but it will be ready within a month. He explained that although the admission beds are available, the place where they will be put is yet to be finished as they are finalising the procumbent process.

Mr Charles Olaro, the director curative services at Ministry of Health, said government will strengthen non-traditional Covid-19 treatment units such as Namboole stadium to handle moderate cases as hospitals are left for critical cases.
 
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