KAMPALA – As the government continues to urge Ugandans to be vigilant, get vaccinated, the reported number of Covid-19 cases in the country has dropped by about 10 percent.
Statistics from the Ministry of Health indicate that between September 3 and September 9, a total of 830 cases of Covid-19 infections were reported after 24,460 samples were tested.
This accordingly was lower than the 922 cases reported between August 27 and September 2 when a slightly lower number of samples, 23,850, were tested.
The number of deaths between September 3-9 was 51, which was lower than 56 deaths reported in the previous seven days stretching from August 27 to September 2.
However, the ministry revealed that a few districts including Katakwi, Serere, Ngora, Kumi, Kapyelebyong and Kalaki are experiencing a spike in infections.
On September 6, 2021, Uganda received a donation of 647,080 doses of the Moderna vaccines from the United States of America government.
“The United States is committed to ending the COVID-19 pandemic as quickly as possible. These U.S. donated COVID-19 vaccines will save Ugandan lives,” said U.S. Ambassador to Uganda, Natalie E. Brown. “We are in this together. We will overcome this virus.”
The doses were part of the U.S. government’s commitment to share the U.S. vaccine supply with the world.
“We will continue to do all we can to build a world that is safer and more secure against the threat of infectious disease,” Ambassador Brown said.
Emmanuel Ainebyoona, the ministry of health spokesman said that Moderna vaccines were going to be administered to teachers who have not received any jab of AstraZeneca.
The threats that the country is headed for a severe third wave have been central in delaying the reopening of schools, places of worship and other sectors.
The country has endured two nationwide lockdowns and the measures have not been completely lifted.
Dr Henry Kajumbula, the head of infection control and prevention in the scientific advisory committee on Covid-19, said although the numbers are few, the threat of the third wave is still imminent.
“The data is not capturing those being tested using rapid antigen diagnostic kits. We are majorly using data for those tested using PCR,” he said.
Dr Monica Musenero, the senior presidential adviser on epidemics, told this newspaper last week that the pockets of infections are signals of the Covid-19 third wave.
Hospitalised Covid-19 patients have been fluctuating around 356-449. It increased from 356 on August 27 to 449 on August 31 before declining to 438 on September 2.
In the last seven days starting September 3, it was still at 438 and continued to decline to 430 before rising again to 449 and then dropping to 417 as of September 9.
Since the outbreak of Covid-19 last year, the virus has killed 3,092 people. Up to 417 are struggling for their lives in hospitals while about 24,000 are undergoing home-based care. The virus has so far infected 121,296 people.
