Washington, United States | AFP | South America is “a new epicenter” of the coronavirus pandemic, the World Health Organization has declared, as US President Donald Trump intensified his push to reopen the reeling American economy. Brazil led the surge across South America, its death toll passing 21,000 on Friday from …
Read More »Government defends COVID-19 lockdown at East Africa court
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Attorney General has defended the President’s directives on curfew and lockdown at the East African Court in Arusha. The directives in mid-March were challenged by city lawyer Male Mabirizi at the East African Court of Justice saying they were unconstitutional. Mabirizi said the …
Read More »Health Ministry seeks UGX 700Bn for Covid-19 response plan
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Minister of Health Dr Jane Ruth Aceng has told parliament that the Ministry has a deficit of 700.9 billion shillings for Covid-19 response plan activities. According to Aceng, out of the 1.02 trillion shillings that the Ministry had budgeted for, 322.3 billion shillings …
Read More »Coronavirus edges Greece closer to e-governance
Athens, Greece | AFP | The coronavirus crisis has forced Greece to take rapid steps to computerise its lumbering civil service and belatedly introduce e-governance in one of the EU’s worst digital laggards, experts say. After recording its first coronavirus death on March 12, Athens took unprecedented measures totally at odds …
Read More »Health ministry commits COVID-19 budget to purchase of ICU equipment, ambulances
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The 94.18 billion Shillings supplementary budget recently provided to the Ministry of Health has been largely committed to the procurement of ambulances, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) equipment, and test kits. The money is part of the 304 billion Shillings Supplementary Budget that was approved by …
Read More »Hydroxychloroquine shows no virus benefit, raises death risk: study
Paris, France | AFP | A study of nearly 100,000 coronavirus patients has shown no benefit in treating them with anti-viral drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine and even increased the likelihood of them dying in hospital. Hydroxychloroquine is normally used to treat arthritis but pronouncement from public figures including US President Donald …
Read More »Nakaseke hospital struggles to feed contacts of COVID-19 positive truck driver
Nakaseke, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Nakaseke hospital is struggling to feed the 33 contacts of a COVID-19 positive truck driver who were recently quarantined at the facility. The truck driver was intercepted at Katuugo village in Wakyato sub county, Nakaseke district on Tuesday after testing positive for COVID-19 from …
Read More »Covid-19 presents opportunity to reset Africa- Elumelu
Kampala, Uganda | Isaac Khisa | Coronavirus pandemic currently ravaging the entire world presents an opportunity to reset the African continent so that the African population can be empowered to become more productive and self-reliant, according to the United Bank for Africa Plc. Chairman and Founder, Tony Elumelu. Elumelu, who spoke …
Read More »Entebbe hospital recieves PPE to manage COVID-19 cases
Entebbe, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital has received personal protective equipment (PPE) and other items to manage suspects and confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The items were donated by Light For the World, a Non-Governmental Organization that focuses on helping persons with disabilities living …
Read More »Cargo trucks stuck at borders as countries reject COVID-19 results from EAC bloc
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | More than 500 trucks are currently stuck at different points of entry within the East African Community because countries within the bloc do not trust COVID-19 test results from the others. Countries within the East African Community bloc began testing drivers who enter and …
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