By Timothy Oyomare
Coronavirus spreads in Ugandan with the country’s parliament worst hit as over 200 workers, including legislators have tested positive for Covid-19 in the last three weeks.
The news come amid fears that their drivers and relatives could be carrying a contagious variant of the virus that has killed more than 700 people in the country.
Sources told the Daily Monitor that the last three tests in parliament returned high prevalence rates and that “there are positive cases every other day”.
State House and the Ministry of Health conducted the last three tests and communicated results to the authorities in Parliament.
All the affected members of Parliament (MPs) and staff were also ordered to self-isolate and seek treatment as a matter of urgency.
Due to the high prevalence of Covid-19 in Parliament, MPs and staff who were not feeling well were referred to Makerere University Hospital for tests. Others had the tests done at an undisclosed laboratory in Butabika.
Some of the worst hit departments in the Ugandan parliament are Procurement, Finance, Information and Communications Technology and the office of Sergeant at Arms.
To avert what sources called “a catastrophe in the House”, Speaker Jacob Oulanyah, who is currently “working from home”, instructed Ms Jane Kibirige, the parliamentary clerk, to shut down the House for two weeks.
The deputy Clerk in-charge of Corporate Affairs, Mr Henry Wasswa Yoweri, wrote to MPs about the planned closure of parliament for two weeks effective June 28.
“Parliament of Uganda like the rest of the country has been affected by the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic with a positivity rate of 17.1 per cent,” Mr Wasswa wrote.
“As a mitigating measure to the prevention of the Covid-19 infection, the administration of parliament in consultation with the office of the Speaker is closing Parliament to Hon Members of Parliament for a period of two weeks in order to disinfect the parliamentary buildings,” he added.
The 234 deaths registered in the last one month compelled the President to declare a total lockdown, six months after authorities had promised a gradual phased re-opening of the economy.
Between May 18 and June 18, Uganda recorded 25,685 new infections.
-Daily Monitor