14-day nationwide lockdown in Uganda: President Museveni orders an immediate nationwide shutdown to counter the spread of COVID-19.
The novel corona virus does not stop at borders and has therefore already found its way to Africa. Some corona infections have also been registered in Uganda, East Africa, if not very many. After Uganda had already taken initial measures in recent weeks, including entry restrictions and restrictions on local public transport, a complete lockdown has now been decided.
Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni announced a nationwide shutdown on Monday. The whole thing without a lead time of several days, the lockdown is effective immediately. This should therefore prevent the corona virus from being carried from the big cities across the country. After all, many residents of the capital, Kampala, consider the smaller towns and rural regions of Uganda to be a potentially safe haven. At the same time, a ban on private vehicles came into force. The Boda Boda motorcycle taxis, which are otherwise everywhere, are now also in vain on the streets of Kampala. There is now so little traffic that for minutes you don’t see a single car on the otherwise hopelessly congested streets of the capital.
With the exception of supermarkets, pharmacies, and grocery stores, pretty much everything is closed. In addition, the residents are required not to leave the house from 7 p.m. Compliance with driving bans and exit restrictions are checked, sometimes more and less. Violations can result in severe penalties.
Uganda’s tourism sector hit hard
COVID-19 and all related measures to hit the tourism sector of Uganda with full force. The entire industry has come to a standstill due to the lockdown in the country and global travel restrictions. At the moment there are nearly no foreign tourists whatsoever and therefore no work for all those employed in the tourism sector. And lodges and accommodations across the country are empty or closed. This is very regrettable in two respects, as the number of visitors and the income generated by the tourism sector have risen continuously in recent years. And around 4.5 to 5 percent of GDP can be attributed to the tourism sector.
Red Chilli Camp campfire site Murchison Falls National Park
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