President Yoweri Museveni has announced a 21-day lockdown in the districts of Mubende and Kassanda as one way of curbing the spread of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) which was confirmed in Uganda recently.
The President made the announcement on Saturday evening while updating the county on EVD, for the third time in less than a month. He last spoke on Wednesday this week.
Ebola was first declared in Uganda on September 20, 2022. So far, confirmed cases are 54 while cumulative confirmed deaths are 19.
The disease remains prevalent in the districts of Mubende, Kyegegwa, Kassanda, Kagadi, and Bunyangabu.
“Movements from Mubende to Kasanda and vice versa are prohibited. There will be a curfew in Mubende and Kasanda districts starting from 7 PM up to 6 AM,” Museveni said on Saturday.
“Only cargo, government, and response team vehicles will be permitted to move in Mubende and Kasanda districts. Transit vehicles and public and private crossings through Kasanda and Mubende districts are permitted to move but with police clearance and shall not stop to pick up or drop off people,” he added.
The President added that, “Anyone who sleeps in the districts of Mubende and Kasanda shall remain there for 21 days.”
Boda bodas are not permitted to move in Mubende and Kasanda districts and all places of worship in the two districts have also been closed.
All bars, places of entertainment, gyms and Saunas in Mubende and Kasanda will be closed. All seasonal markets in the two districts have also been suspended.
The President said that mines in Mubende will remain open for the people in Mubende, and those in Kasanda for the people of Kasanda. “No crossing over,” he said.
He also added that schoolgoing children in uniform will will be allowed to move to schools.
The measures the President said have been imposed due to failure by the locals to abide by calls of desisting from moving to and from areas where the virus was first discovered.
“You have heard about the three individuals that escaped from Mubende and came to Kampala. These were Twagirayesu, his wife Umutoni, and another person from Kasanda,” noted the President.
He said that Ebola, as of now, is highly infectious and deadly and that it greatly affects the economy and tourism industry if not adequately controlled.