The police will work with different stakeholders to ensure that the health and safety guidelines set by the health ministry are respected.
This follows President Yoweri Museveni’s speech on Sunday night where he opened the country and allowed for some activities like Sports, Cultural Galas and Prayers to begin.
In his speech, the president said outdoor sports activities should resume, as long as there are no spectators and all teams are quarantined and tested for COVID-19 every after 14 days.
“Open air activities of sports will re-open provided there are no spectators and the players are tested for Covid-19, 72 hours before. This test will expire in 14 days. Hence, the Sportsmen will have to repeat the test. Sportsmen and women should remember that masks should not be worn, when you are engaged in strenuous exercises. With tournaments, teams should be quarantined for the whole season of the competition” the president said.
For prayers, Mr. Museveni said places of worship should open but that prayers and fellowships should not exceed 70 people and all the other SOPs must be observed.
The president however said no night prayers and trans-nights for now, and that the regular large gatherings of prayers and preaching of Sundays and Fridays will be considered at a later stage, depending on how the disease will be evolving; but the rule of the number of 70 and not more can be used on the Fridays and Sundays.
He also said there should be no Sunday school for children.
On the cultural galas especially Imbalu of the Bamasaaba, President Museveni said they should follow SOPs from the Ministry of Health that were agreed with the Cultural Institution.
“There should be no processions dancing Kadodi – that is dangerous congregating. The Security forces, especially the Police, should monitor those activities. Cases of Covid-19 have gone up in Mbale recently. They are now 107 and 5 deaths have occurred in that area” he said.
Fred Enanga the police spokesperson says they are ready to work with these institutions to ensure the disease does not spread any further, during such activities.
“The Imbalu festival in Mbale was mentioned and we shall work with the cultural institution there to ensure that this activity is conducted in a very controlled environment and setting” Enanga said.
Enanga also warned that unless Ugandans remain responsible and stick to SOPs, there is likely to be a surge in infection rates. He applauded Ugandans who are observing the SOPs, explaining that it’s the best way to suppress the virus.
