Govt in talks to reopen places of worship, arcades

NATIONAL | COVID19 |PANDEMIC

Government is in talks with key stakeholders to reopen places of worship and businesses that are closed over COVID-19, information and national guidance minister, Judith Nabakooba has said.

In a statement on Sunday, the minister called for calm while negotiations were underway to allow arcades, churches, mosques to reopen and boda bodas to carry passengers.

"Government has been consulting leaders from these sectors to ensure that proper safety measures are in place when operations resume," she stated.

The minister said the restrictive measures that resulted into the closure of the facilities have helped to tame the spread of the virus which has infected over 1,000 people but with zero deaths.

One of the strategies, she said, was the procurement of face masks from local firms by government to distribute to the public to limit the spread of infection.

According to the minister, six million masks have been distributed in 22 districts, including Arua, Ajumani, Amuru, Moyo, Kyotera, Masaka, Soroti, Busia, Tororo, Mbarara, Ntungamo.

Nabakooba said some ‘unfortunate cases' had emerged of local leaders being involved in the sale of face masks to the public.

"Government would like to remind everyone that the government face masks are free and very Ugandan six years and above is entitled to a free mask," she stated.

All local leaders responsible for distributing the masks have been facilitated for the process and therefore are expected to do their work without charging any fee, she maintained.

The minister encouraged the public to be vigilant and report any cases of local leaders asking for money in return for the free masks.

Ahead of the general elections, Nabakooba appealed to the public and uphold peace to ensure that the country remains stable and harmonious.