This archive report was first published on 24 June 2021.
As the country battles its second wave of the pandemic, the Ugandan parliament has been hit by a Covid-19 outbreak, with over 200 workers, including MPs, testing positive in the last three weeks.
The news comes as the government confirmed 34 deaths and 722 new cases on Sunday, bringing the total cumulative confirmed cases to 73,401, with a national positivity rate of 17.4 per cent.
According to sources, the last three tests in parliament returned high prevalence rates, with positive cases reported every other day.
State House and the Ministry of Health conducted the tests and communicated the results to the authorities in Parliament, who have since ordered all affected MPs and staff to self-isolate and seek treatment.
Some of the worst-hit departments in the Ugandan parliament are Procurement, Finance, Information and Communications Technology, and the office of the Sergeant at Arms.
Speaker Jacob Oulanyah, who is currently working from home, instructed the parliamentary clerk, Ms Jane Kibirige, to shut down the House for two weeks, effective June 28.
Authorities in parliament have also implemented key measures to mitigate the spread of Covid-19, including scaling down the number of staff operating from the office premises, drawing up new work schedules, and ensuring 20 per cent office presence while 80 per cent of staff work from home for the next 42 days.
