After registering over 700 COVID-19 cases since Wednesday last week when Namboole Stadium was opened as a coronavirus treatment centre for asymptomatic and mild COVID-19 patients, Dr William Worodria, the head of COVID-19 case management at the Ministry of Health said the facility has also run out of space for new patients.
Though Namboole is gazetted to have 1500 beds, the facility has so far been equipped with only 210 beds. With the current spike in the number of cases, Worodria said government should quickly find more spacious facilities before the situation goes out of hand.
“We need to open up new spaces to isolate (suspects and asymptomatic cases) thereby cutting down on transmission. Namboole that was recently opened is nearly full,” Worodria told the New Vision.
Worodria said the ministry has been using some schools as quarantine centres and the move to reopen schools has forced them to vacate the facilities as owners want to prepare to resume work. He also warned that reopening schools will create another high risk place of getting COVID-19 infections and the country might end up registering up to 1000 cases daily.
“People need to be disciplined and take the necessary precautions to curb the spread of the virus. In countries that have succeeded, people have been able to observe standard operating procedures like social distancing, wearing of masks and washing hands frequently,” Worodria said.