Uganda: Jail Time for Those Breaking COVID-19 Rules

Ugandans woke up over the weekend to new government regulations requiring that they obey the latest health guidelines, or else spend time in jail.

The health ministry released new rules on Saturday, 3 July, for combatting the second wave of the coronavirus (COVID-19), which is expected to peak at the end of the month or early August.

Per these new regulations, not wearing a mask outside of one’s home or helping someone to escape quarantine could result in two months in prison. Additionally, failure to report citizens who are infected with COVID-19 to the health authorities will land one with the same sentence.

Praying in open spaces, hawking, street-vending and selling non-food items will result in an immediate arrest, also with a two-months jail sentence.

State minister for health, Anifa Kawooya, says that the new laws are meant to “instil attitude change” so as to ensure the populace pay more attention to the relevant procedures.

Meanwhile, Uganda is awaiting 974 400 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine and 300 000 doses of the Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccine, which are expected to arrive in August.

Uganda has 83 636 confirmed cases of the virus so far, of which 1 111 citizens have lost their lives, while, 55 551 people have recovered.