The government through the ministry of Health has issued seven guidelines that must be followed for any mass gathering to be allowed to take place in the wake of the increasing threat of coronavirus outbreak.
The ministry says all venues should have first aid kits, toilets or latrines with 1 stance for every 20 participants, hand washing facilities, waste management facilities, adequate ventilation with proper air circulation, health desk with health workers to monitor the health safety standards, and that all venues should have access to evacuation facilities for sick participants like ambulances.
The new guidelines were released today Tuesday. The ministry says the guidelines apply to all sporting events, prayer congregations, social and cultural events such as burials and weddings in addition to political events like rallies and national events which ministry of Health personnel or local authorities must approve before happening.
These come after Uganda was cited among the countries at high risk of infection of coronavirus (COVID-19), an acute respiratory disease that started in China late December.
By the end of yesterday, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there were 109,577 confirmed cases of the disease globally with some 3,809 deaths. Outside of China, 104 countries have recorded positive cases and as a result of this, many have gone ahead to cancel mass gathering to avoid infection since the disease is airborne and highly infectious.
However, WHO says that if one hasn't travelled to an area with a positive case or hasn't been in contact with an infected person, the risk of infection is low.
But, in Uganda, as part of the preparedness efforts since the country has not recorded a positive case, the ministry of Health recommends that people with flu-like symptoms and who are unwell should stay at home and not be allowed to access premises for mass gatherings.
By the end of last week, a number of public gatherings that especially involved foreigners had been cancelled.
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