KAMPALA — President Museveni has on Tuesday made a surprise u-turn and announced that Uganda will lift the current lockdown over the Coronavirus pandemic as private transport will return on May 26.
The president also announced that public transport will be allowed again on June 4, while schooling will begin again in June, on a date to be communicated by the Ministry of health.
The President was forced to address the country again on Tuesday night following his address on Monday night that caused massive uproar as it left many issues hanging.
Addressing the country State House Nakasero, the president clarified on major points coming out of his address on Monday, that now gives the public a clear picture.
In the new measures, the president said shops selling general merchandise would now open from the May 26 but the food markets would continue to deal in only food.
“Market women who had stayed in the market for two months can now go home and back,” he said.
Public transport (buses, mini buses, taxis) would resume after proper preparation on June 4 but each will carry half of their loading capacity.
“We said when public transport resumes but border districts will not be allowed for now (21 days) because people can easily come from neighbouring countries, infiltrate our security systems and come to Kampala. Those are 40 border districts.”
Mr. Museveni also announced that private cars would resume operations from May 26, provided they follow the guidelines to be issued by the Ministry of Health and the Works and Transport Ministry. He said private cars will not be allowed in the 40 border districts of Uganda.
For bars, night clubs, sauna, gyms, swimming pools, salons among others, he says those cannot open for now because there is no way to keep social distance.
” Night clubs are the opposite of social distance. I showed you how to keep fit at home, that is a gym which does not close,” he said.
The president has opened for the undergraduate finalists, Postgraduate finalists, finalists in the Tertiary institutions, candidates at P.7, S.4 and S6 levels.
He also directed Ministry of Education, Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Health to work out modalities to this effect.
“When it comes to students who will have to come back from border districts to join their fellow finalists in school, MoE and Govt needs to work out special plans for them.”
Full address major points:
?The big measure is putting on the right quality masks all the time while in public.
?Ministry of Health will advice on the right masks to use.
??Shops for general merchandise, hotels can start on 26th May 2020
??Public transport – to be relaxed on 4th June 2020.
??Education institutions – the Ministry of Education will have an action plan by 4th June 2020
??Private cars to be allowed to move on 26th May 2020
??For border districts will shall not allow public or private transport. They are on the frontline. They are the ones that can either save or destroy us by allowing infiltration from neighbouring countries.
??For students who will have to come back from border districts to join their fellow finalists in school, MoE and Govt needs to work out special plans for them.
