Mass screening of MPs, Parliament staff for COVID-19 starts today The Parliament of Uganda is composed of 457 members and over 400 staff

Members and staff of Parliament will undergo mass screening for Covid-19 starting today, Thursday 16th July 2020.

In her Communication to the House at the beginning of the seating yesterday, Speaker Rebecca Kadaga said that the Office of the Clerk to Parliament was organising mass screening of all Members and staff of Parliament at the Parliament Health Unit.

This, the Speaker said, was in response to the request made by Members of Parliament, two months ago, that mass screening be conducted on site. Medical personnel from the Ministry of Health will conduct the screening.

“I am glad to inform you that, since the Ministry of Health has completed screening of all Cabinet Ministers, mass testing will be done here at Parliament,” Kadaga said. “This is a positive development.” She emphasised that the screening will be done in clusters to avoid overcrowding, and will start with the Members of Parliament, followed by staff and other service providers at the precincts.

More than 800 to be screened

The Parliament of Uganda is composed of 457 members and over 400 staff. Since the Lockdown began in March 2020 however, Parliament has conducted its business in accordance to the Ministry of Health guidelines and standard operating procedures by having Members of Parliament sit in shifts outside the building in an open air tent, while the majority of staff work from home.

Parliament has also clarified that to date, no Member has so far tested positive for COVID-19 but adds that information relating to one’s status remains a confidential issue until one chooses to reveal it.

Additionally, the House says if at risk, it is the responsibility of the Ministry of Health to advise accordingly and to take the necessary measures, as has been the case with other incidents in the country.

In the meantime, it says it is working closely with the Ministry of Health and the National COVID-19 Taskforce to ensure that necessary measures are taken to prevent the spread of the virus.