President Museveni to address the country on the Covid-19 situation.

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni will address the Nation tomorrow Saturday May 29 2021 to update Ugandans on the COVID-19 situation.

This has been revealed by the Presidential Press Secretary, Nabusayi Lindah Wamboka.

 

The Address comes at a time when Uganda is seeing a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases, forcing its health officials to take stern emergency measures. From 200 cases per day in April, the is now recording over 1,000 cases per day amid a looming vaccine shortage.

 

Uganda’s COVID-19 cases stand at 44,594, with 361 deaths. Dr. Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam, the country’s representative at the World Health Organization, spells out the rate at which the coronavirus is spreading in Uganda.  

 

“On the week starting from 25 April, Uganda reported 256 cases. The week starting 2nd May, that number went up to 411. The week of the 9th of May, the number went to 475.  And the week of the 16 May, the number has already reached 1,060,” he said. 

 

Kampala is among 10 districts that have recorded a high number of cases.  

 

Dr. Henry Mwebesa, the director of health services, notes that it has taken the country less than 10 days to get to a full-blown pandemic.  

 

The most affected group is people between the ages of 20 and 39, and the number of severely and critically ill COVID-19 patients is higher than it was in the first wave.  

 

Dr. Mwebesa says officials are making tough decisions to ensure that people in densely populated areas such as Kampala get the vaccine.

 

“To also note with concern that some districts, especially in the Eastern and Northern regions, have not performed as well. So, the strategic committee meeting of the Ministry of Health resolved that vaccines be withdrawn from the poorly performing districts, and that the exercise should commence 27th May,” he said. 

 

In March, Uganda received 964,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine from the COVAX facility, with 100,000 doses coming from India. Since March 10, about 550,000 people have been vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine.  

 

A second batch of vaccines was expected starting this month. But Dr. Woldemariam says that is not guaranteed.  

 

“The supply we were expecting in May hasn’t come, and it’s unlikely to come in June. So, we are working towards seeing where we can get an alternative supplier other than India. Globally, now there is a big effort for big countries which have excess to vaccines to donate, so, we are looking into whether we will benefit from that,” he said. 

 

Due to the extent of the second wave, the President is expected to announce new tough measures to curb the pandemic.