At Signpost International we continue to work and communicate with all of our communities throughout the world and once again we want to update you, our Global Neighbours, with the current situation in the countries and communities we work in.
At the time of publishing (12:30pm on Wednesday 20th May 2020) this is the current situation in the countries we work in.
Uganda
There are now 253 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Uganda and no confirmed cases in the communities we work in.
President Museveni this week announced his plans to start easing virus restrictions in the country from June 2nd. Uganda plans to start easing their lockdown restrictions from June 2nd reopening schools and learning centres for students who were set to sit national examinations this year. Regulated public transport will also reopen with limited passengers and more shops will slowly begin to open. Museveni announced that everyone out in public must wear a face mask with the government planning to distribute free face masks to all Ugandans above the age of 6. According to the president it will be 2 weeks till the masks are ready and that all new measures towards reopening are preconditioned to the availability of masks to the public. The masks are to be distributed through local council systems, one mask per person and they must be worn at all times in public.
Tanzania
Tanzania are continuing to make global headlines with President Magufuli’s approach to Coronavirus. The government have not released any official figures in relation to Coronavirus since April 29th with the president insisting testing figures are inaccurate.
Magufuli continues to state that the economy is more important to the country than the threat posed by Coronavirus and that is why people need to keep working as usual. He has publicly denied the claims of the US embassy that hospitals have been overwhelmed and insists there has been a sharp decline in the number of COVID-19 patients in Tanzania’s hospitals. This week he also shared his plans to open learning institutions next week if the decline in new cases continue. The World Health Organization continues to express public concern about the country’s approach to the virus.
The Philippines
There are now 13,221 confirmed cases of the virus with a death toll of 842 in the Philippines. There have been no confirmed cases in the neighbourhood of West Habog Habog where we work. Restrictions vary throughout the country depending on the designated risk of the area. This week we received this message from our partners in the Philippines.
“Just to give you an update about our current situation. I was happy to inform you last week that we will be back working in the office. Unfortunately, after having sent this, there was a change in the announcement that community quarantine is still enforce but with restrictions. There are selective businesses that are allowed to re-open, but safety protocols are enforced. Public transportation will be allowed on a limited number but with physical distancing and health protocols. We have been able to return to the office where we need to maintain physical distancing but currently we are not allowed to go out into the communities we work in. Our government is worried that there will be a resurgence and that is why they have retracted their earlier pronouncement from a low risk to modified enhanced community quarantine.”
Please do continue to pray for all of the Countries and communities we work in throughout the world.
