Uganda mulls protective gear production to curb COVID-19

KAMPALA - Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Tuesday said the country is studying the possibility of locally manufacturing personal protective gear for health workers who are on the frontline fighting COVID-19.

Museveni said in a televised address that several factories in the country have the capacity to produce the protective gear and they need to be given the required specifications.

Concerns raised by health workers that do not have protective gear will be addressed once the production starts, he said, adding that the ministry of health has ordered protective gear from China.

Uganda currently has 44 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the first case was registered on March 21.

The country has adopted several measures to prevent the spread of the disease, including suspending private and public transport for two weeks, banning public gatherings and closing border entry points.