Coronavirus: a Christmas like no other in Uganda and Congo-Brazzaville
A traveler wears a mask as a preventive measure against the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, as he waits for an intercity bus at the Namirembe Bus Park in Kampala, Uganda on June 4, 2020, the first day of public transport operations.
Badru KATUMBA / AFP
Text by: RFI Follow
8 min
In Congo-Brazzaville, many Brazzavillois shunned this Christmas party like no other, confined due to the health crisis.
In Uganda, on the other hand, many have taken the road to find their families and doctors are worried about an outbreak of the epidemic in the coming weeks as cases have increased considerably in the country since the beginning of the month.
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With 6,579 confirmed cases of contamination for 5,449 cured and 105 deaths on December 21, the Congo has decided to confine its five million inhabitants on December 25 and January 1.
The end of the year celebrations are happening at home!
A decision shunned by many Brazzaville residents, reports correspondent Loïcia Martial, and even by the bishops, reports our correspondent in Brazzaville,
Loïcia Martial
Thus Thursday the curfew was reduced to 8 p.m., instead of 11 p.m.
It was therefore impossible to organize Christmas Eve for these young people met in front of a church on Avenue de Brazza in the second arrondissement.
They clearly shun the authorities' decision to confine them on a holiday.
“
People had to go and celebrate normally as we usually do.
By confining us the leaders knocked on the side.
We are confined like that in a hurry, it is too much immediately.
We announce the news and we confine immediately when people have not prepared, I think it is not good,
”they blurt out at the RFI microphone.
Other Brazzavillians, however, welcomed the containment measure on Christmas and New Year's Day because, they say, the authorities are solely responsible for their protection.
“
We must respect (the measures imposed by the authorities) because because of the virus we cannot go to the Corniche (along the river) or to the bar.
The head of state spoke: Christmas is at home because of the coronavirus.
The bible also demands respect from the authorities!
We must respect and we must be subject to what the authorities say.
It is for our advantage too,
”they argue.
A Christmas under confinement in Congo: listen to these testimonies from Brazzavillois at the microphone of our correspondent Loïcia Martial
The Episcopal Conference indicated that it was having difficulty understanding the real motivations of those responsible for the fight against Covid-19 to deprive Christians of the celebration of Christmas.
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Concerns of doctors in Uganda
In Uganda, Thursday was a day of great departure for the inhabitants of the capital Kampala who took the road to celebrate Christmas with their families in rural areas, despite the recommendations not to gather for the holidays, in order to avoid the spread of Covid-19.
Doctor Bruce Kirenga, pulmonologist at Mulago Hospital, is worried about these large departures, while patients with the coronavirus are flocking to hospitals.
“
The number of serious cases that need to be hospitalized has increased.
Hospital beds are increasingly full, we are almost at saturation point at Mulago national Referral Hospital and in many other hospitals, ”he
explains to our correspondent
Lucie Mouillaud
.
Fewer healthcare workers in rural areas
For two weeks, about 500 cases have been recorded every day by the Ministry of Health.
And of the more than 32,000 cases recorded since the start of the epidemic in the country, nearly 14,000 have been in the last month.
Doctors are now alarmed, with the travel of the end of the year holidays, a spread of the virus outside the capital.
“
We must now prepare to deal with all these severe cases of Covid-19 in rural areas, in places without oxygen and where there are few caregivers.
Because in Kampala, we have specialists, big hospitals, oxygen, and the private sector helping us.
So if the epidemic reaches the villages, it will be a disaster!
"
In Uganda, population movements for the Christmas party worry doctors as the coronavirus epidemic progresses: listen to the report by our correspondent Lucie Mouillaud
According to doctors, the acceleration of the epidemic due to the end of the year holidays will be visible from the second of January.
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Religion
Coronavirus
Health and medicine
Uganda
Congo Brazzaville