3600 trained healthcare workers of different categories will remain on standby as Mubende and Kassanda districts return on normal functionality, President Museveni has directed.
After over two months of total lockdown in bid to contain the spread of the deadly Ebola virus, president Museveni in a televised speech delivered by his Deputy the Vice President Rt. Maj Jessica Alupo lifted the lockdown in the two districts after the health workers assessed the and studied the disease.
“So far, Mubende district has not registered any confirmed case for 34
days and neither has Kassanda for 37 days,” he said
“The 3600 trained healthcare workers of different categories will remain on standby. With concerted efforts and through a whole of society approach, we managed to stop further transmission in Kagadi, Bunyangabu, Kyegegwa, Masaka, Jinja, Wakiso and Kampala districts,” he added.
To date, there is a total of 142 confirmed cases, 56 deaths and 86 recoveries with no more contacts under follow-up.
The most affected district was Mubende, which was also the initial epicenter district of this outbreak, with 66 cases, and 29 deaths. This was followed by Kassanda district with 49 cases and 21 deaths. Kampala with 18 cases and three (03) deaths, Kyegegwa with three (03) cases and zero death, Jinja district with one (1) case and one (1) death.
“As I told you at the beginning of this outbreak, Ebola disease unlike coronavirus, is very easy to deal with since the methods of spread are through contact with body fluids and infected clothing, and hands are the main vehicle of transmission,” Museveni said.
The lifting of these restrictions, he said is based on the fact that currently, there is no transmission, no contact under follow-up, no patients in the isolation facilities, and we are progressing well with the count down.
“However, this doesn’t mean that the outbreak has ended, we remain on high alert with intense surveillance across the country,” he said
Museveni also said that additional measures will remain in place Including; the 353 bed capacity treatment units in Mubende, Madudu, Mulago and Entebbe, the District and Community Task Forces and the village health teams in the communities of Mubende and the Ebola testing mobile laboratory in Mubende district.
“Kassanda districts should continue to sensitize their communities about prevention, and identification of
individuals with signs and symptoms. Mortality surveillance (testing of all dead bodies for Ebola) in Kassanda, Mubende Masaka, Jinja, and Kampala districtsshould continue. This will ensure that no unknown transmission chains are missed. The Ministry of Health should continue to bury all dead
bodies in Mubende and Kassanda districts until after the 42-day count down. The Ministry of Health should continue to monitor the Ebola survivors, and support them to re-integrate in the community,” he said
