Epidemics Tracker

Lisbon, Portugal | THE INDEPENDENT |    Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa tested positive for COVID-19, said a statement posted on the official website of the Portuguese Presidency on Monday night. Rebelo de Sousa had “tested negative yesterday, and although today’s antigen test is negative, it was now known, at …

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | Xinhua | The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the African continent reached 3,021,769 as of Sunday morning, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said. According to the continental disease control and prevention agency’s Africa COVID-19 dashboard, the death toll related to the …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Gulu Resident District Commissioner – RDC Maj. Santos Okot Lapolo is dead. He succumbed to the deadly coronavirus disease – COVID-19. His death was confirmed to URN this afternoon by his family members in Kitgum and Kampala. Lapolo breathed his last from the National Referral …

  Geneva, Switzerland | THE INDEPENDENT | The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned there could be delays to delivering vaccines to ‘needy’ countries like Uganda, if developed countries do not stop hoarding supplies. The world health body appealed to countries that have contracted more vaccines than they will need, and …

Kampala, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT | Two rheumatoid arthritis drugs have shown to be effective in stopping the occurrence of death in severely sick COVID-19 patients. The drugs, tocilizumab and sarilumab are anti-inflammatory medication used to treat arthritis by stopping inflammation from taking place.      Results from a double-blinded phase …

Kampala, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT | The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of a tipping point in the fight against COVID-19, amid surging cases in Europe and the fresh challenge of a mutating virus.   “We were prepared for a challenging start to 2021 and it has been just that”, Dr …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Ministry of Health has said that it does not know the cost of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine despite ordering for two million doses. According to the ministry of health officials, the government has only budgeted for the vaccination process to cost an estimated 1.4 …

COMMENT | DR SETH BERKLEY | What a year this has been! The devastating impact of COVID-19 has affected us all, and few will look back on 2020 with fond memories. With around 1.7 million deaths, more than 76 million confirmed cases and a global economic impact that the World …

▶ No voters at polling stations during counting ▶ Voters without masks will be turned away Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Voters will not be allowed to witness the counting of votes at polling stations due to COVID-19 standard operating procedures. This is according to the Electoral Commission. Justice Simon Byabakama, the …

Kampala, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT | Pharmacies around Kampala are rationing Vitamin C tablets due to the shortage of the drug on the Ugandan market.  At many pharmacies that URN visited in Ntinda, Wandegeya, Kamwokya and within the Central Business District, customers cannot buy more than one box of Vitamin C …