Member Article

The Ugandan Minister of Health has issued the Public Health (Control of COVID-19) (No. 2) Rules, 2020 (“the Rules”) in addition to the previously published statutory instruments (discussed here). The Rules put into effect the additional guidelines and restrictions announced by the President in his address to the nation on 30 March 2020 and provide as follows:

• Driving any class of motor vehicle, including motorcycles and trailers, or engineering plant on any road in Uganda is prohibited, with effect from 1 April 2020 to 14 April 2020
• A curfew, starting at 07:00pm each day to 06:30am the following day, is imposed from 30 March 2020 to 14 April 2020
• The selling of non-food items in all markets and stores in Uganda is prohibited from 1 April 2020 to 14 April 2020 (exceptions are pharmaceuticals, agricultural chemicals and seeds, veterinary drugs and detergents)
• Certain places and premises are closed until 14 April 2020, including all shops and stores where non-food items are sold or which do not deal in pharmaceuticals, agricultural chemicals and seeds, veterinary drugs and detergents, including shopping malls, arcades, hardware shops, salons, gymnasiums, massage parlours, hotels, lodging houses, motor repair garages and workshops
  
  

Exceptions

• Factories and construction sites are allowed to operate, provided they accommodate their employees at the factory or construction site. The employees are prohibited from leaving the factory or construction site until 14 April 2020.
• The following essential services are exempted from the ban on the use of motor vehicles, provided they obtain and display a sticker issued by the Ministry of Works and Transport and adhere to the curfew restriction:
• medical services, including ambulance services
• police services
• Uganda Peoples Defence Forces services
• electricity services
• water and sewerage services
• fuel service stations
• agricultural and veterinary services
• telecommunications services, including media services
• banking services
• Uganda Revenue Authority services
• Uganda National Roads Authority services
• Uganda Wildlife Authority services
• security services
• delivery services, including deliveries to the places and premises that are permitted to operate under the Rules, and deliveries from those places to homes
• cleaning services, including garbage collection services
• funeral services
• diplomats
• selected Government services
• motor vehicles or trailers carrying cargo within Uganda or which are in transit in Uganda
  
  

Failure to comply with any of the Rules is an offence punishable by up to three months’ imprisonment on conviction.

These Rules are to remain in force until 14 April 2020. However, the Minister of Health may extend the duration of these Rules.

Phillip Karugaba Head of ENSafrica Uganda [email protected] +256 772 785 332

Tracy Kakongi Associate Uganda [email protected] +256 784 343 336

COVID-19, also known as the Coronavirus, is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on 11 March 2020. The disease has since been reported in over 190 countries.