There was a Corona Virus scare in downtown Kampala on Friday March 13, that turned out to be false news.
A trader, who returned from China weeks ago and is a tenant at Royal Plaza was suspected to have the virus but tests by Ministry of Health officials confirmed her negative.
Crane Management Services, a Ruparelia Group company that manages the building released a statement as the false social media news had caused an unnecessary scene at their premises.
“We would like to clarify that the social media stories making rounds about a confirmed case of CORVID 19 (Corona Virus) in a building owned by the Ruparelia Group are totally false,” the press release, signed by Mr Prabhat Mishra, the Crane Management Services General Manager read.
“Crane Management Services Limited would like to clarify that the social media posts in question are full of falsehoods and relay a misconstrued set of facts.”
Mishra went to state the facts that the trader in question returned from China, the Corona Virus hotbed a couple of weeks ago and she duly observed the guidelines recommended by the Ministry of Health by subjecting herself to self-isolation. The recommended self-isolation period for anyone coming from a country listed as “high risk” is two weeks.
“Since her return, she has never exhibited any signs or symptoms of the deadly Corona Virus. To our shock and dismay, a section of the public descended into unfounded suspicion and created an unnecessary scene at the building,” the Crane Management Services statement read.
Following the unfounded stories that were making rounds on social media, a ministry of health team was quickly dispatched to the scene and tested the lady whose results returned negative.
Crane Management Services is the biggest property management company in Kampala’s business district and several of their tenants have been purchasing their goods from China. Aware of that fact, the company has taken several precautionary measures recommended by the Ministry of Health in all their properties.
“We hereby clarify to the general public that there is no confirmed case of Corona Virus that has been reported from the properties managed by Crane Management Services Limited,” Mishra said.
“The public is advised to contact the Ministry of Health for further information and desist from relying on rumours,” he concluded.
Yesterday, neighbouring Kenya confirmed their first Corona Virus case in a woman who had recently returned from the United States and banned all major public events to curb the spread of the disease. Most of the people who have been in contact with her since her return and passengers on her flight back home are being monitored by the country’s ministry of health.
128,000 cases of the virus have been reported worldwide and 4,700 deaths have been confirmed. Major sporting events including the English Premier League and UEFA Champions League have been called off until earliest in April.
Uganda has restricted visitors from 16 countries that are termed as “high risk” by the Ministry of Health as a way of curbing the spread of the virus to the country. They include China, UK, France, Germany, Iran, Spain, Italy, South Korea, United States, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Austria and Malaysia.
According to Health Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Achieng, those visiting the country from high risk countries must self-isolate at home or a government facility for 14 days at their own cost.