In a bid to deeply analyze the pattern of the fast-rising COVID-19 infections in the city and the surrounding metropolitan areas, the Ministry of Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan affairs in conjunction with the Ministry of Health have decided to issue a weekly advisory to alert the public about high-risk areas within the city and the surrounding areas where a formidable number of cases have surfaced in the past weeks.
While addressing the media, the Ministry in charge of Kampala Capital City, briskly came up with ways of alerting the public of these high-risk areas to allow them to make informed decisions and if possible avoid these areas as a whole.
The following remain high risk areas containing the most recent and highest number of infections in the city and metropolitan areas:
They have noticed that there is gross non-adherence to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) in public transport and places of work, including the recently opened arcades.
Scientists believe this has grossly contributed to the increased number of cases.
- Workplaces – Offices and workshops, are where most infections are being registered.
- Arcades remain high-risk areas due to non-compliance to simple preventive measures. The KCCA Public Health Directorate has issued notices to the non-compliant arcades to ensure full compliance to the SOPs within 7 days after which stern sanctions shall be imposed upon them.
- Public transport:
Over 90% of those infected reported using public transport and the taxi park. - Slums have not been spared either and have presented affected persons; These include Kasosoko, Kisenyi, Nakulabye.
- Political activities are also drivers of new infections, and we appeal to leaders to exercise caution when campaigning.
- A number of people are not seeking medical help even when they manifest signs and symptoms of the deadly COVID-19. Failure to seek assistance delays access to effective and proper medical help and this has led to some being confirmed to have the disease after death. This poses a risk to relatives who participate in the burials.
- Most markets have stopped hand washing and some have disconnected washing facilities installed for free by KCCA to help comply with hand washing.
Our teams on the ground shall start market inspections and if you are found with water diverted to your premises, you will be arrested and charged as per the Public Health Act.
While giving the general updates on the number of infections recorded within the city, it was found that there was a cumulative number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Uganda.
Statistics from 20th August alone show that 51 alerts in Kampala tested positive, 21 contacts from Kampala tested positive for the coronavirus. This comes a day after Minister Jane Ruth Acheng urged Ugandan to brazenly observe the SOPs put in place as the government couldn’t shoulder the pandemic as it did at the start.
By the closure of business on 20th August 2020, the number of infections was at a whopping 1,750. Of these, Kampala recorded 394 COVID-19 infections accounting for 22.5%. In just the last 11 days, Kampala has registered 175 cases out of which 116 are alerts(66.3%), 46 (26.3%) are contacts, 9 (5.1%) health workers, and 4(2.3%) returnees.
A total of 71 new cases were reported in Kampala for out tests conducted on 19th August 2020, marking the highest single-day infections for the City.
Kampala now has recorded 221 active cases, whereas the whole of Uganda has 537 active cases representing 41.2%
Notably, the majority, of all COVID-19 related deaths, 15(78.9%) registered in the country were from Kampala with the first-ever death registered on 23/07/2020.
In a call to action, the Ministry continues to appeal to the public to take individual responsibility in the fight against the deadly COVID- 19.
It further appeals to the public to avoid non-compliant arcades so as to stay safe.
Landlords must value life ahead of profit by ensuring that all SOP’s are STRICTLY adhered to.
Members of the public should report anyone who shows symptoms of COVID to KCCA by calling toll free phone number: 0800 99 00 00.
Public transport managers should ensure that all buses and taxis operators enforce wearing of masks, washing of hands, and social distancing.
The Ministry called recognized and thanked the following parks for their compliance with COVID 19 regulations. These included Kisenyi, Usafi, and Namirembe taxi parks respectively.
