Museveni rules out lockdown to fight Ebola

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has assured Ugandans that the country cannot go into lockdown as a measure of curbing the spread of Ebola the way it was with COVID-19.

The president via his televised address to the nation on the status of the Ebola outbreak in the country highlighted that government can control this Ebola virus just like they have done before.

He said there is no need for panic and unnecessary closure of schools, markets and restriction of movement for now.

Despite the absence of an approved Ebola vaccine, Museveni said the government is exploring other options. He assured that government is still in control, especially with the available facilities in Mubende referral hospital where the 1st outbreak happened.

“The Ebola treatment unit at Mubende Referral Hospital has a 51-bed capacity for confirmed cases and an eight-bed capacity for suspects. A 31-bed capacity treatment unit has been set up at Madudu Health Center III,” the president revealed.

Museveni guaranteed Ugandans that the government is in control of this fight and a rapid response team was deployed in the Greater Mubende region to support the response.

In addition and as a way of sensitizing Ugandans on the SOPs, President Museveni urged the public to avoid touching different soft parts of their bodies.

“Don’t touch the soft parts (eyes, mouth and nose) of your body unless you have washed your hands properly. My left hand is dedicated to myself. The other one, I surrendered it to the republic 63 years ago,” he explained.

He said the Ebola virus doesn’t die immediately and that it stays on dry surfaces for five days and 14 days on wet surfaces.

6 health workers, 4 doctors, 1 anaesthetist, and 1 medical student exposed to the index case between the 15th & 18th have tested positive for Ebola and are being managed at Mubende and Fort Portal referral hospitals.

As of 27th September 2022, there were 24 confirmed cases of Ebola and 5 deaths from Mubende, Kyeggwa and Kassanda.