Uganda: 21 staff from Ministry of Finance test positive for COVID-19

21 staff of Uganda's Ministry of Finance tested positive for COVID-19 following a testing exercise between August 19 and 21, according to a news report by Daily Monitor.

After this, the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development has asked its security to ensure that all uninvited visitors present COVID-19 certificates before accessing the premises.

Keith Muhakanizi, the permanent secretary, yesterday said that the ministry will continue to undertake meetings using online platforms and that the public should avoid unnecessary visits to the offices.

PS/ST Keith Muhakanizi has this evening issued a statement on results from the massive testing of all staff of @mofpedU for #Covid19 . 21 positive cases have been confirmed and all affected staff are under medical care.#STAYSAFEUG #FightCOVID19 pic.twitter.com/6ovW4vqWRO

— Ministry of Finance (@mofpedU) August 24, 2020

Interim results have indicated that at least 21 positive cases so far have been identified. In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, we have contacted all staff and placed them under medical care.

Their immediate close contacts will be subjected to mandatory isolation and quarantine,” he said. Mr. Muhakanizi added that the workforce has been scaled down to critical staff to minimize direct contact and maintain zero tolerance to laxity to safety protocols.

Some of the other workplaces that have so far registered COVID-19 cases include; Malaysia Furnishing, Royal Pharma, NRM Secretariat, and media houses such as NBS, NTV, BBS, New Vision, among others.

On Monday, the Ministry of Health has confirmed 2,362 COVID-19 cases, with 99 new cases and two new deaths. The two latest deaths are a 35-year-old female trader from Kikuubo, Kampala, and a 36-year-old male from Kisenyi, a city suburb.