The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kyotera, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Kyotera District Covid-19 task force has relaxed enforcing the covid-19 prevention guidelines.
Kyotera is among the border districts that were characterized under the category of high-risk areas due to its proximity to Tanzania where community transmission is feared to be high.
However, in many parts of the district, it is business as usual with no adherence to COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures- SOPs.
From the Customs Union and Immigrations Offices to Mutukula Police Station, at the security check-points and various businesses premises, people do not wear face masks, there is no washing of hands at the entrances.
Outside the premises, people are no longer observing social distancing and can freely shake hands whenever they wish.
Despite the presence of hand washing facilities at the different entry points into the Mutukula One-Stop-Border-Post, these are no longer refilled and URN reporter saw cobwebs around some of the empty water cans.
Major David Matovu, the Kyotera Resident District Commissioner and Chairperson of district Covid-19 task force admits that they are losing the campaign of enforcing of SOPs.
He argues that the enforcement of the prevention guidelines has also been frustrated by politicians who he says are doing too little to mobilize the community.
Doctor Edward Muwanga, the Kyotera District Health Officer argues that they have done everything within their means to enforce the guidelines but people have become unbothered.
In July this year, the government also delivered to Kyotera district a consignment of 200,000 face masks that were freely distributed to people in the area.
Meanwhile, some of the cross border-business operators URN interviewed in Mutukula Town Council exhibited high-level laxity to observing of the Covid-19 prevention guidelines, with some of them doubting the reality of the pandemic.
Moses Kaweesi who operates a Forex Bureau at Mutukula border has blamed the public laxity to fewer covid-19 cases registered in the area.
Uganda has since registered 11,767 Covid-19 confirmed cases drawn from a total of 541, 422 samples tested. Cumulative recoveries of 7,461 and 100 deaths have been registered according to figures at the Ministry of Health.
********
URN
