By Arinda Nsheka
apearlnews.com
Now dubbed as agents of the deadly pandemic, Ugandans living in Rubanda District who will not wear a mask as a precautionary measure to defeat Covid-19 will be subjected to doing community work upon arrest.
Those who will be caught not wearing a mask will either till government land, clean public places like roads as determined by the enforcing officer.
This resolution was reached on Wednesday afternoon at Rubanda district headquarters as the district sought to introduce measures to stem the spread of the virus.
This comes amid the increase in the number of corona virus cases in the district.
While speaking to our reporter, the Rubanda district Health officer Dr Abdon Birungi said people have become reluctant as far as observing standard operating procedures set up to stop the pandemic, and hence the new guidelines.
Dr Birungi added that arresting and detaining people over wearing a mask would be costly and would put the risk of prisoners at risk, therefore finding a new way of punishing them would be easier, since it doesn’t even decongest prisons.
“We have no choice but giving them a punishment like tilling government land, or clearing public roads will tame their indecent manners of not wearing a mask in this covid-19 era.” Dr Birungi was quoted saying.
Peter Rwakifari Rubondo, the Resident District Commissioner for Rubanda district while commenting on the matter noted that community work was nothing but a small punishment aimed at reminding them that they wren risking the many lives of other people in Rubanda .
“THOSE who don’t wear a mask put many lives at stake and these bad people need to be reminded. We’ve agreed and prepared a small punishment and we believe that it will help anyone out there respect wearing a mask. Am sure with that we shall defeat the pandemic’ RDC Rwakifari said.
Rubanda district has registered at least 134 corona virus cases. Only four have died.
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