LOCKDOWN

It is six days today (Thursday) since Uganda was forced into a 42-day nationwide lockdown in the wake of rising coronavirus cases - a decision meant to slow the further spread of the virus.

In the revised measures that President Yoweri Museveni announced to the nation on Friday, June 18, the transportation of passengers was suspended for 42 days, among other directives.

With commuters now unable to use public transport means such as commuter taxis and buses, the bicycle has swiftly emerged as a convenient alternative, alongside walking.

This has also resulted into a hike in bicycle sales and purchases.

ALSO RELATED: Passenger transport suspended, curfew back to 7pm

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Uganda is in a race against time to protect its people against the coronavirus, hence the fresh total lockdown enforced to limit movement and activity.

The latest information from the health ministry confirms 859 new cases of the virus from tests conducted on Monday, June 21. This brings Uganda's cumulative confirmed coronavirus cases to 74,260.

Among those officially known to have contracted COVID-19, as many as 50,085 have recovered, according to the health ministry. It is also understood that there are 1,127 active cases on admission in health facilities across Uganda.

With the current positivity rate at 12%, as many as 752 COVID-19 deaths have been recorded. Note that these are the official deaths. President Museveni said in his June 18 address that the numbers could be more - numbers which officials are not aware of.

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In efforts to stave off the pandemic, Uganda is vaccinating its population. The latest Ministry of Health figures show that 834,271 people have been vaccinated to date. To bolster the vaccination drive, President Museveni said they are in a race to produce vaccines locally to eliminate the uncertainty around dependance on external producers.

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 mass vaccination  exercise will resume on Monday (June 28) in Kampala and countrywide, the health ministry's senior public relations officer, Emmanuel Ainebyoona, said on Wednesday.

In Kampla, the vaccination exercise will be conducted by KCCA and UPDF health  workers. Each division will have eight vaccination centres within a walking distance, Ainebyoona revealed.

In the other districts and cities, it is understood that the authorities will conduct  outreaches 'to ensure health workers and those due for their second doses get their jabs'.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja chaired a planning meeting of the national COVID-19 taskforce in the implementation of the COVID-19 relief plan. In the first total lockdown last year (2020), the government gave food handouts to the vulnerable people to see them through the period of restrictions and confinement. This time around, the plan is looking at a different approach: cash handouts.

Meanwhile, here is a graphical summary of the revised presidential guidelines on COVID-19: