NIRA, DPP close offices over COVID-19

The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) yesterday temporarily closed their offices after each registered their first COVID-19 case.

According to press statements from both organisations, the two COVID-19 cases were registered at the ODDP headquarters at Workers House in Kampala and NIRA offices in Wakiso, respectively.

Justice Jane Francis Abodo, the Director of Public Prosecutions, said necessary precautionary measures have since been taken to comply with the requirements of handling COVID-19 positive cases, including isolation of all the immediate contacts.

"In light of this, our field staff, stakeholders, and members of the public are discouraged from visiting our headquarters for two weeks. Alternative means of interacting with our headquarters should be explored, such as making complaints online," Abodo said.

Given the sensitivity of the cases handled by her office, Abodo advised the public to contact the public relations department on urgent matters only.

These include urgent files from the Police. NIRA on the other hand announced that its Wakiso office will be reopened to the public on September 16, after the premises have been disinfected.

In the meantime, NIRA has suspended the issuance, fresh registration, and replacement of national IDs, birth and death certificates, as well as correction of errors at its Wakiso office.

"Clients may, however, access all other services from any other NIRA office nearest to them," the statement read.

80 cases in Kitgum

The health ministry yesterday registered 201 new COVID-19 cases increasing the total cases in Uganda to 4,101.

Of the new cases, 80 are contacts and alerts from Kitgum district, 38 from K a m p a l a , 23 from Moroto, 10 from Gulu, eight in Amuru, six in Lira, and six in Wakiso.

The other new cases are from Kikuube, Zombo, Amolatar, Buikwe, Butebo, Lamwo, Adjumani, Arua, Kasese, Koboko, Luwero, Mukono, Butaleja, and Nakaseke.

Explaining the sharp increase in confirmed cases in Kitgum, William Komakech, the Resident District Commissioner and chairperson of the district COVID-19 task force, said 76 out of the 80 cases were from Kitgum prison, which also doubles as a quarantine centre for the Acholi sub-region.

"Any new detention cases are first brought here for screening before they are transferred to other prisons," Komakech said.

As a preventive measure, he said the task force has since resolved not to allow any visitors at Kitgum Prison and has also minimized movements of wardens at the facility.

Komakech said the health ministry has so far tested 200 contacts, to rule out any possible infections.

Uganda's COVID-19 recovery and death toll currently stand at 1,876 and 46, respectively.