Over 200 workers in Uganda’s parliament, including members of parliament, have tested positive for Covid-19 in the past three weeks.
The revelation comes amid concerns that their drivers and relatives may be infected with a contagious variant of the virus that has claimed over 700 lives in the country.
According to sources, last three tests in parliament revealed significant prevalence rates and that “there are positive cases every other day”.
State House and the Ministry of Health undertook the remaining three tests and reported their findings to the authorities in Parliament.
Additionally, all afflicted Members of Parliament and staff have been instructed to self-isolate and seek treatment immediately.
Due to the high incidence of Covid-19 in Parliament, sick Parliamentarians and staff were sent to Makerere University Hospital for testing. Others went to an unknown laboratory in Butabika for the testing.
To avoid what insiders described as a “catastrophe in the House,” Speaker Jacob Oulanyah, who is presently “working from home,” directed the House clerk, Ms Jane Kibirige, to suspend the House for two weeks.
Mr Henry Wasswa Yoweri, the Deputy Clerk in-charge of Corporate Affairs, wrote to MPs informing them of the scheduled two-week closure of parliament beginning June 28.
“Parliament of Uganda like the rest of the country has been affected by the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic with a positivity rate of 17.1%,” Mr Wasswa wrote.
“As a mitigating measure to the prevention of the Covid-19 infection, the administration of parliament in consultation with the office of the Speaker is closing Parliament to Hon Members of Parliament for a period of two weeks in order to disinfect the parliamentary buildings,” he added.
Uganda recorded 25,685 new infections between May 18 and June 18.
