PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS ON EBOLA 🎙️

Presented by Joseph Kizza
(Scroll down the page for earlier updates)
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9:18 pm  |    President ends address

The President wraps up his address by saying that he listened to advise against going ahead with a planned Government retreat in Kyankwanzi district. They argued that it was not wise to bring together a large group of people in one place at a time when the government is dealing with an epidemic.

Consequently, the President allowed the retreat to be postponed.

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9:15 pm  |    'These are temporary measures'

President Museveni tells the nation that "these are temporary measures to contain the spread of Ebola" and that "we should all co-operate with the authorities so that we bring this outbreak to an end in the shortest time possible".

He says people who are sick (with signs and symptoms of Ebola) should use ambulances to take them to hospital and not boda bodas.
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9:07 pm  |    Extra measures: Schools to remain open

10: All seasonal markets are suspended in Mubende and Kassanda.

11: The mines in Mubende will remain open for only the people in Mubende and those in Kassanda for only Kassanda people - and temperature checks must be done at the mines.

12: Schools should remain open and learners should be allowed to move when in school uniform. Any school absence must be reported immediately to the health teams. Also, all children, and teaching and non-teaching staff that have been in contact with people with signs and symptoms of Ebola must stay at home.

15: All places of worship should remain closed in the two districts.

16: All bars, places of entertainment, gyms and saunas in Mubende and Kassanda will be closed.

17: All burials, whether Ebola or not, shall be conducted by the Ebola health response teams and tests will be conducted.

18. Government should intensify full health awareness. Additionally, the health ministry will intensify surveillance and contact tracing in the two districts.

On other measures, there will also be enforcement of handwashing in the two districts, with emphasis on using soap and sanitizers.

Health workers in the two districts with vehicles shall be given permits to move within the respective areas. The health ministry will provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to all registered private and public facilities.

The health ministry will secure and deploy 20 ambulances to districts to intensify the anti-Ebola efforts.
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8:58 pm  |    Extra measures: Transit vehicles, cargo trucks

7: Transit vehicles - private and public - crossing through Mubende and Kassanda districts are permitted to move, but with Police clearance and shall not stop to pick and drop people.

Museveni says this is "because Mubende and Kassanda are in the heart of Uganda and we don't want to block people from Fort Portal, Kagadi and Hoima".

8: Cargo trucks with only one driver and a turnboy shall be allowed to load and offload in Mubende and Kassanda, but not carry passengers.

9: All cargo shall be delivered to the two districts during the day. They shall be required to leave the two districts by 5pm. "Anyone who sleeps in the districts shall remain there for 21 days."
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8:50 pm  |    Extra measures: Cargo vehicles allowed

6: Only cargo vehicles, vehicles working under the health ministry to fight Ebola and authorized government and security vehicles are permitted to move, but shall not take people in and out of Mubende and Kassanda.

The President says cargo vehicles do not transmit disease as much as passenger vehicles do.
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8:46 pm  |    Extra measures: Transport banned

5: Public transport, private transport and boda bodas are not permitted to move in Mubende and Kassanda districts - either by day or night.

"Why are we doing this? Because you are the ones who are collecting people and infecting them," says Museveni.
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8:43 pm  |    Extra measures: Curfew in Mubende, Kassanda

The President further announces that:

3 & 4: There will be curfew in Mubende and Kassanda districts from 6pm to 6am. Residents are  not to leave their compounds during curfew time.
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8:41 pm  |    Here are the extra measures: Movement banned

The President directs that:

1: Movement into and out of Mubende and Kassanda districts is prohibited.

2: Movement from Kassanda to Mubende and vice versa is prohibited.
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8:34 pm  |    Museveni announces extra measures

President Museveni is about to announce "extra measures" to contain the spread of  Ebola. They will last 21 days.
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8:30 pm  |    Mining, family relationships potential spreaders

Museveni says the 58 confirmed cases thus far shows that the disease does not spread fast but "the ones who cannot be advised are the ones spreading it recklessly".

He says because the pattern of movement of people has not changed, the risk of spreading to other parts of the country is real, adding that the epidemic greatly affects the economy and tourism - and can potentially spill over the Ugandan borders.

Museveni says there is has been increased movement of people to the districts of Mubende and Kassanda for mining activity, family relationships, as well as for culture and traditions.

"We also know that some people move out of these districts to seek treatment from witchdoctors and traditional healers. This has led to the spread of Ebola to other districts," he says.
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8:23 pm  |    Ebola is 'survivable', starts President Museveni

The President begins his addresss tonight. He says he is back to talk about the epidemic, where the confirmed cases have emerged from the districts of Mubende, Kyegegwa, Kassanda, Kagadi and Bunyangabu.

"We now have a total of 58 [cumulative] confirmed cases and 19 deaths," he says.

"As I have told you many times before, this disease is survivable. And to prove that, 20 people have recovered from Ebola."
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8:17 pm  |    Boda bodas told to be vigilant

In his last address this week, President Museveni directed health workers to use appropriate protective wear, including gloves, aprons and masks, whenever they are examining patients.

He told religious leaders not to accept people with symptoms of Ebola who go to them seeking healing prayers. He extended the same call to witchdoctors, traditional healers and herbalists.

"Advise them to call a health worker for safe transfer to hospital," directed the President.

He told boda bodas to be vigilant and not carry sick people with signs and symptoms of Ebola. "Advise them to call an ambulance". He also urged the security teams supporting the response teams in the districts to be vigilant and ensure no Ebola patients in the treatment centres or contacts in the quarantine facility escape.
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8:04 pm  |    In last address: Museveni warns against carelessness

In Wednesday's address, Museveni reiterated that there is no confirmed Ebola case in the city of Kampala following a wave of anxiety after a death was recorded at Kiruddu General Hospital.

He said that case had originated out of Kampala and that the 24 contacts were being monitored and managed under quarantine. But he was keen to warn that "this event [the Ebola death at Kiruddu Hospital] shows you the possibility of Ebola erupting in Kampala if we remain careless and defiant to medical advice".

The President said that because of the current epidemic, there are many people reporting signs and symptoms similar to Ebola within Kampala and Wakiso districts.

"Several such alert cases have been tested and the results have turned out to be negative. The Ministry of Health teams will continue to investigate any such cases and inform the public accordingly," he added.
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7:53 pm  |    President's directives on Ebola

In his mid-week address, the President issued a number of directives on the Ebola outbreak. His team compressed them into this one-minute video below. Take a look. 👇🏽


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7:50 pm  |    Welcome to tonight's coverage!

Good evening everyone. President Yoweri Museveni will be addressing the nation tonight on the Ebola situation in Uganda, having delivered a similar televised address on Wednesday this week. Tonight's address was announced to begin at 8pm.

I will be bringing you live updates from what the head-of-state will be telling the nation. Don't forget to refresh this page for updates.

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