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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The National Meteorology Training School will not be used as a quarantine center due to security reasons, the Wakiso Deputy Resident District Commissioner in charge of Entebbe, Hajji Njuki Mbabali has revealed.
The school is one of the Business, Technical, Vocational and Educational Training (BTVET) institutions that had been listed by the Education and Sports Ministry to serve as a quarantine center for COVID-19 suspects.
The others are Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute Kabanyoro, Entebbe Dairy Training Institute and Fisheries Training Institute.
Government decided to use the institutions as quarantine centers because of the high costs involved in using hotels, lodges and guesthouses.
However, Njuki says that the Entebbe security committee which he chairs decided to scrap the National Meteorology Training School from the list because of security reasons.
The school which has the capacity to host about 100 people seats between Entebbe Chief Magistrates Court and State House, Entebbe.
It also shares a compound with the office of the Deputy RDC and District Internal Security officer-DISO.
Currently, the RDC uses school compound to issue travel permits for emergency cases. One of the students welcomed the decision to scrap the school from the list of institutions earmarked to act as quarantine centers.
Jassy Birungi, a resident of Central Kitooro division agrees saying much as the center would be disinfected at all times, it would be risky to have COVID-19 suspects a short distance from the official residence of the president.
Lawrence Aribo, the Principal National Meteorology Training School told URN that he was yet to receive communication on the new developments.
He however says that the Education Ministry instructed him and management last month to prepare the school as a quarantine facility with guidance from the Health Ministry.
He says that they were asked if the school has reliable water and power supply and all dormitories have beds.
The Health Ministry was expected to supply mattresses. There are currently 32 quarantine centers across Uganda with close to 700 suspects.
The Health Ministry Spokesperson, Emmanuel Ainebyona told Uganda Radio Network-URN earlier on Thursday that the Ministry was yet to assess whether or not the Meteorology school could be used as a quarantine facility.
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