The government has announced that it will provide free face masks next week starting with border districts.
The revelation was made on Tuesday by Robinah Nabanja, the State Minister of Health for General duties while meeting District Health officers-DHOs and Resident District Commissioners-RDCs from Hoima, Kikuube, Kiryandongo, Masindi and Buliisa districts at Hoima Regional Referral hospital on Tuesday.
Nabbanja says the government will provide two kinds of masks for health workers and the public that include the surgical masks the reusable fabric masks respectively.
Nabbanja confirmed that the distribution would start in phases with border districts before being rolled out across the country.
Meanwhile Police says it will only start arresting people without masks in public after the government has finalized the distribution of free ones.
The police spokesperson for Kampala Metropolitan Patrick Onyango says the officers are currently sensitizing the public about the use of masks as one of the measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.
He says once the government has distributed free masks, there will be no excuse for not wearing one.
Last week while announcing measures of easing the lockdown, President Museveni said that the government will provide free reusable masks to all Ugandans aged six years and above.
The President said that the masks will be distributed through the Local government system; from the district, down to the villages.
