Kampala, Uganda: Uganda closed all of its schools on Friday to stop the spread of Ebola.
Following that, On Saturday, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni announced that the quarantine imposed on the two regions at the center of the nation’s Ebola outbreak has been extended by 21 days. He also added that the government’s efforts to fight the outbreak were having success.
“ It may be too early to celebrate success, but overall, I have been briefed that the picture is good,” the president stated.
The presidency said late on Saturday that access to the central Ugandan regions of Mubende and Kassanda will be limited until December 17. On October 15, quarantine was imposed for the first 21 days, and then on November 5, for an additional 21 days.
With millions of students in Uganda leaving early for the break on Friday, it may seem like Christmas is coming early for many. However, as the nation continues to combat one of its deadliest outbreaks, the decision to close schools nationwide two weeks before the end of the semester was to curb the spread of Ebola.
Following the deaths of eight children from the extremely contagious disease earlier this month, the decision to close schools two weeks before the end of the semester was made.
According to Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng, in recent weeks, the number of new cases reported in the nation’s capital, Kampala, and the disease’s epicenters of Mubende and Kassanda has decreased.
Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng said that “we encourage the population to remain alert and cooperate with the health teams if we are to win this battle, and there are signs Uganda is winning.”
The purpose of the extension of quarantine and the closing of schools was to safeguard the rest of the nation from further exposure while maintaining the progress we have made in containing the Ebola virus.
The quarantine measures include closing markets, pubs, and churches, enforcing a dusk-to-dawn curfew, and restricting personal travel.
141 infections have so far been reported in Uganda. Since the deadly hemorrhagic fever epidemic was reported on September 20th, fifty-five people have passed away.
According to the statement made by the WHO office in Uganda on Thursday, no cases have been reported for nine days in Kampala, ten days in Mubende, and twelve days in Kassanda as of November 22.
President Museveni said, “The situation is still fragile.” He also said that the lack of health care infrastructure in the country and the spread of false information about the disease are still problems, even though the outbreak is slowly being brought under control.
He repeatedly said that he would not impose Covid like restrictions across the country.
Also Read: WHO Says Ebola Vaccine Candidates Will Be Shipped To Uganda Next Week
The WHO considered the outbreak over with the absence of new cases for 42 days in a row, which is twice the length of the disease’s incubation period.
Uganda has had several Ebola outbreaks in the last 22 years, but this one is by far the biggest. It has been found in nine districts, mostly in the central parts of the country.
This outbreak is of the Sudan strain, like four others before it, unlike the more widespread Zaire strain that caused the biggest Ebola outbreak in West African history. Neither a vaccine nor a treatment has been approved for this tension.
The government has announced that the trials for three vaccines will start in the coming weeks, but there are few details regarding how and on whom they will be conducted.
Good news has come from the areas of Kagadi and Bunyangabu, where 42 days have passed without a new infection, which is double the incubation time.
For the upcoming academic year, the students are supposed to return to class in January.
According to the health ministry, the outbreak could be stopped in February or March. Still, the health minister warned that this would only be possible if the people cooperated with the preventive measures.
The epidemic is spread through body fluids. Fever, vomiting, bleeding, and diarrhea are typical symptoms of Ebola.
