Hundreds of Kampala’s COVID patients self-isolating at home

✳ Uganda confirmed cases 3,353
✳ Deaths 35
✳ Recoveries 1,564

Kampala, Uganda | FLAVIA NASSAKA | Over 467 of the 954 people who have in the last one month tested positive in Kampala have not yet been evacuated to treatment in isolation facilities, the Ministry of Health (MOH) revealed on Friday. The ministry says the process has been hampered by traffic jam and challenges in accessing people’s homes.

Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, the Health Minister says they are urging these people whom they have already notified of their results to isolate themselves. They are being advised to avoid transmission to their family members as they await evacuation.

Aceng who confirmed that they are not yet considering having positive people stay at their homes despite calls by several experts including the Uganda Medical Association to have mild cases isolated from home to reduce pressure on the health system with numbers expected to increase further as the pandemic progresses.

The minister revealed that the Ministry is setting up auxiliary centers with 300 bed capacity in the community where mild and asymptomatic cases will be isolated under close supervision of health workers.

“We call them auxiliary treatment centres, meant for mild cases. Moderate and severe cases are admitted in hospitals. The mild cases are also not left on their own because they can change conditions anytime and progress to either moderate or severe,” said Aceng.

Such auxiliary centers include Namboole stadium in Kampala and a number of hotels that they are currently accrediting where those, like institutions that can afford to pay for their accommodation, will be monitored from. The minister revealed that with more numbers testing positive, they plan to erect tents across the country that will accommodate any excesses.

Uganda has recorded 65 new cases from tests done on Thursday bringing the total number of positive cases to 3353. Also, two new deaths have been recorded bringing the total number of Ugandans succumbing to the viral respiratory disease to 35.

Of all cases so far recorded, 2485 were picked from the community in 69 districts but Kampala has registered the highest number at 1132 cases.

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