The number of new COVID-19 cases registered daily has further dropped from over 500 cases in December and early January, to 139 cases on Tuesday.

The cases that started going up in the final week of December, rose to as high as 1,936 cases on January 2, 2022. However, the new cases have dropped to less than 500 since the beginning of this week.

“Results of COVID-19 tests done on January 23, 2022, confirm 139 new cases. The cumulative confirmed cases are now 160,711,” results from the health ministry show.

The breakdown shows Kampala with 73 cases, Wakiso (24), Apac (15), Masindi (4), Hoima (2), Gulu (2), Kyankwanzi (2), Mityana (1), Kalaki (1), Nakasongola (1), Busia (3), Amuru (4), Kasese (2).

Five truck drivers also tested positive – four in Mityana and one in Amuru.

There were 284 patients actively admitted at health facilities countrywide, while the positivity rate has also dropped from over 20% in the past few weeks to now 2.9%.

A total of 17 deaths were reported today, bringing the total number of persons who have died to 3,449 deaths since the outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020. A total of 99,123 patients have recovered.

Unlike the second COVID-19 wave between June and July 2021 where the delta variant saw many deaths and admissions, scientists have argued that the new variant (Omicron) is mild in nature.

During his end of year speech on December 31, 2021, President Yoweri Museveni announced full re-opening of the country, but he urged Ugandans to go for vaccination, and those aged 50 years and above to go for a third booster dose.

The number of COVID-19 doses administered so far is now at 12,599,741. Uganda has since received over 20 million vaccine doses of various types. All the COVID-19 vaccines are double doses apart from Johnson & Johnson, which is a single dose vaccine.

The ultimate solution to overcoming the pandemic is vaccination, and government is targeting to vaccinate at least 22 million people above 18 years.

The President, who called for continued adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), directed Resident District Commissioners, Chief Administrative Officers and District Health Officers to mobilise the masses for vaccination.

Uganda has mainly received vaccine donations of Sinovac from the People’s Republic of China, AstraZeneca vaccine doses from Norway, Ireland, UK, Belgium, France as well as Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer doses from the US among other countries.  

The UK has announced a donation of another 1 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses that are soon coming in.