Health Ministry Names Current Drivers of Covid-19 Spread in Uganda

The Minister of  Health Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng said that the main drivers of Covid-19 transmission in the country are non-compliance to SOPs, communal gatherings at drinking points, weddings, burials and social activities, low uptake of vaccines, and the exercise to verify people for cattle compensation that recently took place in Teso, Lango and Acholi sub-regions.

According to the minister, high infection rates (hotspots) are in the aforementioned areas and Kigezi and Kampala.

She said that the latest data shows that more females are now being infected than males, which was different in the first wave.

"This signifies widespread community infection," the minister said in a Friday statement.

Citing Teso region, Dr. Aceng said that the largest affected age group are 20-29-year-olds and 55% of the confirmed cases are among females.

Uganda has confirmed 3,224 deaths and registered 126,407 cases since testing began. Current admissions stand at 162 in public and private facilities, with 85 being severe and critical cases.

Since the vaccination exercise commenced in March 10, 8,912,810 doses of Covid vaccines have been imported and 3,938,730 have been administered.

12,288,750 more doses are expected by the end of December.

The country's plan is to immunize 4.8 priority people by end of December as the economy fully reopens in January