Prime Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda has said curfew rules stay in place as per The President and Ministry of Health’s guidelines to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
While addressing Parliament yesterday, Rugunda said government is looking into a request by the Muslim community to have hours extended to allow them hold prayers during Ramadhan.
Below is the statement from the Prime Minister
PRIME MINISTER RT HON DR.RUHAKANA RUGUNDA STATEMENT ON
COVID-19 CURFEW
ARPIL 13, 2O2I
Rt Hon Speaker and Hon Colleagues,
Government is aware of the request by Hon. Colleagues as well as our brothers and sisters from the Muslim community during this holy month of Ramadhan. The request is for Government to review some of the measures put in place to control the spread of Covid-19.
Specifically, there has been a request to review the curfew hours from 09:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
Rt. Hon Speaker and Hon colleagues,
This is a matter that is not only being discussed in this August House, but it was also discussed in Cabinet yesterday under the Chairmanship of H.E the President.
Companies Rise or Fall on How Well They Renew Their LeadersRt Hon Speaker and Hon Colleagues,
As this House will recall, the measures to control the spread of Covid-19 pandemic were put in place after a long consultative process with our scientists and other different stakeholders in the country. These measures were all aimed at containing the spread of Covid-I9 pandemic among our population and to save lives.
These measures which were announced by H.E the President and Ministry of Health based on advice from our scientists, are regularly reviewed from time to time. This, therefore, means that the issues of curfew hours will be looked into in the context of protecting the lives of Ugandans considering that the pandemic is still with us and it is still affecting and killing our people.
As you are aware, and from the information that we have been receiving from our scientists and Ministry of Health, the threat and scourge of Covid-19 is still very much with us.
Projections indicate that we should not relax our guard because the number of positive cases reported have started unfortunately to increase, especially in urban areas, border districts and trading centres. This is coupled by the reported cases of new fast spreading, and possibly more deadly variants of Covid-19.
Rt Hon Speaker and Colleagues,
I would like to let you and the country know that Government is very much alive to the impact the Covid-19 prevention measures have had on our ways of life, on businesses, productivity and subsequently on livelihoods. ‘We are very much aware and we are in solidarity with all those who have been affected.
H.E the President will in the coming days be addressing the Nation with more details on this matter of curfew, where we are in the fight against Covid-19 and what more steps need to be taken to keep our people safe.
In the meantime, the guidelines issued by H.E the President and Ministry of Health remain in place.
I thank you.
