Uganda: President Museveni Mandates 14-Day Quarantine for All State House Staff as a Proactive Measure Against Coronavirus Spread

In an unprecedented move directed towards the stringent control of Coronavirus, President Yoweri Museveni has declared compulsory quarantine measures for all personnel operating within the State House. Effective immediately, this COVID-19 preventative mandate requires all State House employees to undergo a thorough 14-day quarantine period prior to commencing their respective roles.

This news, revealed by an informed source to the Nile Post, states, “Commencing from this very moment, for any staff to assume the duty, they are mandated to have successfully completed a 14-day quarantine period.” This strict procedure is applicable to all personnel, including those serving in diverse capacities such as chefs, secretaries, members of the president’s media team, and custodial staff, all of whom contribute to the day-to-day functioning of the State House.

The implementation of this rigorous directive arrives in the wake of President Museveni’s recent return to official duty following his recovery from the Coronavirus. Post-diagnosis, the President followed isolation protocols for approximately two weeks, while he recovered from the infectious disease. However, his contraction of the virus was a consequence of his lapse in strict observance of COVID-19 guidelines, wherein he was witnessed in public spaces without a face mask and engaging in physical contact like handshakes, activities he had previously abstained from.

The President revealed his decision to remove his face mask after being counseled that it was inducing allergies affecting his throat and eyes. This new directive mandating a 14-day quarantine is thus designed to safeguard the health of the President as well as the entire State House staff. The objective is to ensure that if any personnel are carrying the Coronavirus, the signs and symptoms become clearly noticeable by the end of the quarantine period.

When asked for a comment on this new regulation, Faruk Kirunda, the Deputy Press Secretary, claimed unawareness and directed inquiries to the Principal Private Secretary to the president, Dr. Kenneth Omona, who was unavailable for an immediate response.

It is pertinent to note that, on average, the incubation period for Coronavirus is typically five or six days post-exposure. However, researchers indicate that in rare instances, symptoms can manifest after 14 days, an occurrence seen in about 1 out of every 100 people. Therefore, the 14-day quarantine measure stands as a comprehensive preventive approach against the possible spread of the virus within the State House.