ADJUMANI – Police in Adjumani District are hunting for 24 people that escaped from Nyumanzi institutional quarantine center in Dzaipi sub-county, Adjumani district on Monday night.
According to reports, most of the escapees are South Sudanese refugees who were originally from Pagirinya refugee settlement.
Mr John Ambayo, the Adjumani local council five vice chairperson suspects that the escapees took advantage of laxity in security before finding their way out of the fence.
Dr George Bhoka, the Adjumani district health officer said 2 of the 24 escapees have been intercepted already.
He said the district taskforce has the biodata of the missing persons therefore intercepting them will not be a hurdle to the authority.
Since March, Adjumani district has recorded 12 cases of Covid-19 with 1 recovery.
Before the Monday night incident the district had 158 people are at institutional quarantine centres at Unna, Paridi stadium and Nyumanzi.
Meanwhile, the Kitgum district COVID-19 task force has raised concerns over the increasing cases of defiance against the COVID-19, ministry and presidential guidelines by the locals.
Mr William Komakech, Resident District Commissioner(RDC) , who is also the chairperson Kitgum district COVID-19 task force, said locals are no longer observing the practice of hand washing, social distancing wearing face mask as well as following the curfew time as directed by the ministry of health and President Yoweri Museveni.
“people seem to have gone back to their normal lives especially in markets where they are not keeping the social distancing, Bodaboda riders have as well started carrying passengers as opposed to the guidelines given by the President as a preventive measure,’’ he said
He said there is need to heighten enforcement of implementation of existing directives and guidelines especially within Kitgum town.
The RDC’s remark came at the time when one community case was confirmed from Kitgum district.
He has tasked the police to start arresting people defying the directive.
Currently, there are 45 people under quarantine in Kitgum district including the 11 family members of a man tested positive last week, 11 family members were put under self-quarantine in their home in Pandwong cell Kitgum municipality.
