President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has issued new directives to beef up the already existing measures aimed at curbing the spread of the Ebola disease in Kassanda and Mubende districts.
“While progress has been made in Mubende, this is not true for Kassanda. Somebody died from Ebola and was buried by the government health team. His relatives, who claim to be religious, claim he wasn’t buried according to the Muslim rituals. They exhumed the body.
Ten of those…from that family have since died. Out of the 55 who have died, 10 are from this family,” he said in a presidential address on Tuesday.
He asked the Ministry of Health to intensify the sensitization of Boda Boda riders on the dangers of Ebola and carrying of passengers.
He directed the Local Government to intensify the sensitization of boda-boda riders so that people don’t escape through the refugee camps.
“Boda bodas should stop carrying people. If they insist, I will have to stop them from moving completely. All trucks carrying logs are restricted from moving into and out of Mubende and Kassanda until the 21 days are done,” he said.
All traditional healers were also restricted from carrying out their work during this time.
He said this will take immediate effect for 21 days.
The President said the cases confirmed in Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area were from Mubende and Kassanda areas.
Museveni said the region is a heavily populated area which provides challenges in contact tracing and because of this, identified contacts must be put in the government quarantine.
He told the nation that some of the people who escaped from the government quarantines, have since died, urging them to stay and get medication.
He appealed to the public to observe the newly issued measures.
Since the outbreak in September 2022, a total of 55 people have died of Ebola while 73 have recovered. 13 others are still admitted in the different Ebola treatment units.