President Yoweri Museveni has told the nation there is no need to panic due to the soaring Covid-19 numbers mainly from truck numbers.
President Museveni was addressing the nation on the update of the Covid-19 in country.
The President stated that the country’s Covid-19 cases had risen to 457 positive cases, 332 of them being truck drivers.
Museveni explained: “It is now 75 days since the country went into lockdown on March 18. Out of the total 457 who have tested positive for Covid-19, truck drivers are 332. They contracted coronavirus from neighbouring countries.”
The President argued: “We can’t again lose earnings from the export of coffee, cotton, processed milk, cement, steel products, processed fish by blocking the movement of trucks. We also need to bring in raw materials for our industries. Fighters don’t panic. Fighters persist despite challenges.”
Museveni went on: “Locking out inter-state truck drivers would be a panicky and unnecessary response and would hurt Uganda badly. Uganda is going to lose $1.6bn/pa from vulnerable tourism, $1.3bn from remittances abroad.”
He revealed: “Trucks in and out of Uganda are a necessity. There’s also the issue of international law. Interland countries have a right to take their good through Uganda. Coastal countries also have a right to take their goods through Uganda. Uganda can only regulate.”
Museveni stated: “Previously Uganda was lax over movement of truck drivers. But now their movement will be regulated and only allowed to stop at isolated stop points where they will be provided with food. Drivers testing positive shouldn’t cause panic, it means our testing system is working.”
The President further hailed: “Finding positive truck drivers means our filter is working because we test thousands everyday. Truck drivers will continue coming to Uganda until we sort out our railway and water transport.”
Museveni said: “Despite the panic among Ugandans, Uganda’s Covid-19 curve is far below the curves of other countries. The services of truck drivers are indispensable. Issue of truck drivers will be fixed when govt injects more money into Uganda Railways Corporation from 8 to 38bn/pa.”
He identified: “Uganda’s scientists and those of other countries are rapidly working in the coronavirus vaccine. For now he says, strategy is treatment by supporting the body or avoidance. The lockdown was to enhance the strategy of avoiding the virus.”
Museveni boasted: “Right now Uganda has 2,000 hospital beds to deal with coronavirus cases and this can be enhanced and scaled up to 40,000 beds if necessary. Says govt can construct temporary tents.
Award winning journalist and writer who has worked as a stringer for a couple of acclaimed South Africa based German journalists, covered 3 Ugandan elections, 2008 Kenya election crisis, with interests in business and sports reporting.
