LIST: Here are President Museveni’s 10 Directives on Full Reopening

President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni gave his new year’s message at his Rwakitura country home in Kiruhura District on December 31.

Museveni announced full reopening of the economy despite a spike in Covid19 cases.

The reopening will be in a phased manner, starting with schools on January 10, and entertainment industry two weeks later.

Here are the new directives:

1. 1. The transport sector, which has been operating at 50%, will be opened fully, but with the necessary SOPs   such   as the wearing   of   masks,   full vaccination  by  both  the  crew  of  PSV  and  the travelers, etc.

2. The cinema halls and sports events to be allowed to operate with SOPs.

3. Pre-primary, Primary and Secondary schools will be opened  for  learners,  starting  on  the 10^th of January,  2022.  The  Ministry  of  Education  and Sports  and  the  Ministry  of  Health, to  work  out applicable SOPs and communicate them.

4. When all the learners were made to travel on the same day, there was a lot of congestion in the bus-parks and car-parks.  It may be wiser to start with S1 to S3 for some days and the rest later. The Ministry will give  detailed  guidance  and  so  will  the  other Ministries for the other sectors.

5. The    Performing    Arts,    Concerts,    Bars    and Discotheques, will be opened two weeks after the opening of the schools and with SOPs directed by the Ministry of Health.

6. Curfew will be lifted for everybody at the time of opening  for  the  performing  arts  but  not  for bodabodas.  

7. The   bodabodas   will   continue   to  observe   the   curfew   hours of   1900hours   to 0530hours   (Shaaha   emwe   y’ekiro  to  shaaha ikumi n’ emwe z’ekiro)

8. In  order  to  ensure  safety  against  corona,  the scientists have now recommended a booster doze for  those  above  the  age  of  50  years.  These are 3.3 million.  Therefore, the  50-year  old  plus persons, that have already received 2 dozes, come out, again, for the booster doze.

9. Those  who  get  suspicious  signs  of runny  nose, headache,  tiredness  ─  which  could  be  mild  to severe,  sneezing,  scratchy/sore  throat,  muscle aches, quickly  report  to  the  nearest  health facility, so  that  you  get  treatment. 

10.   Some of these measures will be reversed,ifCovid-19 high   dependence   and   intensive   care   units   bed occupancy, exceeds  50%  and  if  the  daily  rate  of hospitalization for severely and critically ill patients, is sustained at 30 per day for 5 days in two or more Covid-19  Treatment  Units. The Intensive  Care  Unit (ICU) beds in Government hospitals are 187and HDU (High Dependency  Unit)  beds  are 475.  The  total corona virus beds are 3,100.