Ebola: Museveni Directs 'Full Mobilisation of Kampala City into a Response Mode'

President Yoweri Museveni directed relevant authorities to fully mobilize Kampala city following the confirmation of two cases that came from Mubende.

"For Kampala City, while the two cases that tested positive came from Mubende District and are regarded as Mubende cases, because of the presence of contacts of these two cases and the risks of infection, I have directed a full mobilization of Kampala City into a response mode," Museveni tweeted on Monday.

In his latest address, President Museveni put Mubende and Kassanda districts under a curfew that will last 21 days.

He prohibited movements into and out of the districts, and the curfew runs from 7pm to 6am.

On October 15 when he delivered the address, Uganda had confirmed 58 cases, and 19 deaths and 20 people had recovered from Ebola.

The other directives made on Oct 15 are as follows:

Movements into and out of Mubende and Kassanda Districtsis prohibited.

Movement from Kassanda to Mubende and vice versa is prohibited.

There will be a Curfew in Mubende and Kassanda Districtsstarting from 7:00pm to 6:00am.

Movement of persons within their respective district (Mubende and Kassanda) is allowed.

Public transport, private transport and Boda-bodas are NOT permitted to move.

ONLY Cargo vehicles, vehicles supporting the response Ebola outbreak, and authorized Government vehicles and Security vehicles are permitted to move BUT SHALL NOT TAKE PEOPLE IN OR OUT OF MUBENDE AND KASSANDA.

Transit vehicles (public and private) crossing through Mubende and Kassanda Districts are permitted to move but with police clearance and shall NOT STOP TO PICK OR DROP PEOPLE.

Cargo trucks with only a driver and one turn-boy shall be allowed to deliver goods and may carry goods out of the districts but shall not carry passengers.

All cargo shall be delivered to the districts of Mubende and Kassanda during the day.

Cargo vehicles shall be required to leave by 5:00pmand the operators will not sleep in any of the two districts.

Anyone who sleeps in the districts shall remain there for 21 days.

All seasonal markets (butale bw’Omubuulo) are suspended.

The Mines in Mubende will remain open for people in Mubende and the mines in Kassanda will remain open for the people in Kassanda.

No crossing over. In addition, daily temperature checks, hand washingand symptom screening must be enforcedby the proprietors.

Schools should remain open and learners should be allowed to move when in school uniform.

The temperature of all learners, teachers and non-teaching staff should be monitored on a daily basis.

Any School absence must be reported immediately to the response teams and investigated.

All children, teachers and non-teaching staff who have had contact with a person who has signs and symptoms of Ebola should not go to school.

Allplaces of worship shall be closed.

All bars, places of entertainment, bibanda, bidandali, gyms, and saunas shall be closed.

All burials (whether Ebola or not) shall be conducted by Safe Burial Teams during this period.

Samples will be taken from all dead bodies and tested for Ebola.

Government should intensify public health awareness after fully understanding community issues, culture and traditions.

Ministry of Health must intensify surveillance and contact tracing in the two districts to pick out all possible cases.

Enforce hand washing/sanitizing using alcohol hand rub in both districts.

Ministry of Health will secure and deploy twenty (20) ambulances from various districts and Regional Referral Hospitals to the two districts for continuity of essential health services.

Ministry of Health will mobilize and deploy 10 vans for the transportation of health workers in the two districts.

Health workers with vehicles shall be given permits by the RDCs to move only within their districts.

Ministry of Health will provide PPEs to all registered health facilities (private and public)in the two districts.