Families chase three from home over Coronavirus scare

Families chase three from home over Coronavirus scare

BY ISAAC OTWII 

LIRA/Uganda. Health authorities in Lira District are stuck with three ladies chased from their homes over coronavirus scare.

The three according to authorities were all working in Tororo District and have since decided to return home. But upon reaching their homes in Aromo Sub-county, Lira District, they were all chased away by their relatives.

Lira Assistant District Health Officer, Mr Edmon Aceka, told Daily Monitor on Monday that they are still waiting for a digital thermometer to carry out a temperature checkup before issuing them clearances.

Currently, Lira District officials say there are no digital thermometers for carrying out temperature checkups.

“Another challenge is that we have not received any protective gear from the ministry. We have gotten some sanitisers form Reproductive Health Uganda but we have distributed it to the offices at the district that has many people,”  

According to Aceka, there are people in the communities who in an attempt to protect themselves from COVID-19 are now chasing visitors away.

“They are not accepting anyone coming from near the borders of category one countries. Since they (girls) traveled yesterday, they have been denied to reach home. They slept outside and are very disappointed. So that is the challenge that we are having. We shall do a check up on them and write for them a medical form so that their families can allow them to settle at home,” he added.

Mr Aceka urged locals to demand clearance form from people who have been to countries of category one. The clearance form according to him is being issued by the Ministry of health at Entebbe Airport.

“We are saying when a person comes from other areas, form outside the country especially countries in category one, you can inquire whether the person has been cleared at Entebbe and the person has to be having a clearance sheet,” he said adding, “If he or she doesn’t have the clearance sheet, ask whether they followed the normal channel because there are people entering from all corners of the border on hearing that Uganda is a bit safe,”

Surveillance

Mr Aceka said the task force has intensified surveillance system after getting two suspected cases in Lira Town on Sunday.

“Yesterday we had two suspected cases. One who had been to the Democratic Republic of Congo and another one from Sweden, the samples were taken and submitted to Uganda Viral Research Institute and we are waiting for the results. We have advised them to do self-quarantine,” says Mr Aceka.

On Saturday, Uganda confirmed its first case of COVID-19. The confirmed case, who is a resident of Kibuli, Kakungulu zone in Kampala traveled aboard Ethiopian Airlines that arrived at Entebbe International Airport at around 2am on March 21, 2020.

The Minister of Health, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng said on Sunday that there were about 84 passengers on the plane that transported the 36-year-old man who tested positive for coronavirus.

According to the Ministry of Health guidelines, all travelers mostly those from countries that have already recorded cases of COVID -19, are required to undergo mandatory 14-day quarantine at designated areas at their own costs.

The raging coronavirus pandemic whose death toll has already crossed 13,0000, has forced lockdowns in several countries across the globe, disrupting lives, travel, and businesses as governments scramble to shut borders and unleash hundreds of billions in emergency measures to avoid a widespread virus-fuelled economic meltdown. By Sunday about 827 people in Uganda were about to complete self-quarantine while about 1,000 are still under quarantine.

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