Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Another group of 514 Ugandans and legal residents has returned from the United States of America, the Caribbean and Qatar. The Ugandans were stranded abroad when the government announced the closure of borders to control the spread of coronavirus disease in March. Those who …
Read More »South Africans mark Mandela Day with focus on fighting COVID-19
Cape Town, South Africa | XINHUA | South Africans on Saturday marked the Nelson Mandela International Day with a focus on fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. The best way to mark the event was to help prevent the spread of coronavirus, the government said, appealing to the public to continue observe social …
Read More »Trump rejects national mask mandate, denies mask’s effectiveness in fighting COVID-19
Washington, US | XINHUA | U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday he won’t issue an order at the national level mandating the use of masks, even as the United States continued to break its single-day coronavirus case record amid a pandemic far from being contained, and whether to wear masks …
Read More »COVID-19 threatens to exacerbate conflict, humanitarian crises: WHO chief
Kampala, Uganda | XINHUA | COVID-19 threatens to exacerbate many issues the world is facing, such as years of conflict and other humanitarian crises, the chief of the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Friday, while calling for continuity of essential health services. Although COVID-19 has rightly captured the world’s …
Read More »Returnees hold protest against extended COVID-19 quarantine
Entebbe, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A section of Ugandans quarantined at Evelyn Apartments have staged a protest against the extension of their quarantine beyond the mandatory 14-days. The group, which returned into the country on July 2, was expected to complete the quarantine on Friday, July 17. But according to …
Read More »COVID-19 patients blocked from fleeing Jinja hospital isolation centre
Jinja, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Police were heavily deployed at the Jinja Regional Referral Hospital as COVID-19 patients attempted to flee from the isolation centre. The patients were protesting the poor living conditions at the centre, late meals, poor sanitation and delayed results. The patients further challenged the absence of …
Read More »Here’s why Uganda needs special oversight mechanisms for COVID-related guidelines
COMMENT | Crispin Kaheru | It is increasingly clear that Uganda will head to the polls in 2021 despite some calls for the postponement of the elections until when THE COVID-19 pandemic wanes. In principle, elections thrive on three fundamental elements (call them liberties) The first is Freedom of movement (mobility), which …
Read More »IMF chief urges further policy agility, action for next phase of COVID-19 crisis
Washington, US | XINHUA | As many countries gradually reopen their economies, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva has called for further action to support a resilient recovery. “Many countries are gradually reopening, even as the (COVID-19) pandemic remains with us,” Georgieva wrote in a blog published …
Read More »UNECA chief says Africa needs greater energy source to power COVID-19 recovery
Kampala, Uganda | XINHUA | The UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) on Friday stressed that the African continent will need greater energy sources to build back better in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The statement was made by Vera Songwe, Executive Secretary of the UNECA, speaking during a webinar …
Read More »Coronavirus causing short- and long-term “uncertainty” in food chains: FAO report
Kampala, Uganda | XINHUA | The global coronavirus outbreak is causing “unprecedented uncertainty” in the world’s food supply chains, according to a report released Thursday by the Rome-based United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The “Agriculture Outlook 2020-2029” report, produced by FAO and the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation …
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