Some 15 people have been confirmed to have contacted the deadly Ebola virus in Kamala according to health officials there. First confirmed in Mubende district in the central region, Kampala becomes the sixth district to register the Sudan-strain of Ebola in the country.
Ugandans have expressed fear that the government might impose a lockdown to contain the spread of the virus. The months-long Covid-19 pandemic lockdown had massive economic implications especially on the low income households.
According to World Health Organisation, the recent Ebola outbreak is “rapidly evolving,” and remains a huge challenge for health workers and local governments.
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One businessman told a news agency that: “The news is very scary. But like the government says, I think we all should follow the standard operating procedures so that we prevent the spread of this Ebola virus. What is happening now is people are dying, doctors are dying, so we all should be very vigilant and follow the set guidelines as stated by the government.”
Emmanuel Ainebyoona, senior communications officer at the Ugandan Ministry of Health, reassured Ugandans that: “With the experience we have had as Uganda in managing Ebola outbreaks, we have put on all that it takes including restricted movements in the epicenter to ensure that this current outbreak is controlled. And the cases we are seeing for instance here in Kampala are listed contacts to cases confirmed in Kassanda and Mubende so that shows that we are on top of this game.”