A three-week lockdown is underway at two districts due to an Ebola epidemic in Uganda. There are at least 58 infections with 19 dead.
However, authorities believe there are many more cases of illness and deaths not yet reported due to the outbreak’s widespread nature.
The district of Mubende is the epicentre of the outbreak alongside the district of Kassandra next to it.
Ugandan President Museveni has restricted All movement in and out of the districts. Only trucks carrying supplies can enter.
A curfew is in progress to combat the Ebola. Not only that, all public gathering places, including theatres, concert halls, pubs, and houses of worship, will close for 21 days.
“These are temporary measures to control the spread of Ebola. We should all cooperate with authorities so we bring this outbreak to an end in the shortest possible time.”
Previously, the president has been against taking drastic actions like lockdowns. He addressed the nation through television to encourage compliance with the regulations and reassure them that the measures were temporary.
58 individuals in the East African nation have contracted Ebola since the epidemic was notified on September 20
Locals reported a “weird sickness” affecting individuals in a rural hamlet in Uganda in August. However, the country’s government had not detected the epidemic quickly enough.
According the Africa CDC, there are almost 1,100 contacts of confirmed Ebola cases in Uganda. There is no known effective vaccination against the Sudan type of Ebola, which is now spreading across the country of 45 million people.
Sources: The Thaiger, VOA