Arua City Council Health Office has started compulsory testing of COVID-19 for all the staff and members of the public after a surge in new cases.
Last week, the City health office registered 177 cases out of 500 tests carried out in a space of four days. Seven of the cases were nurses at Oli Health Centre IV in Arua Central Division, 22 were Police officers at Arua Central Primary School, while the rest are from Mvara, Onduparaka Sambya and Ediofe areas.
Mahmoud Elias, a member of Arua City COVID-19 Surveillance and Laboratory Services said that out of 58 Staff tested today, 17 turned positive and have been urged to self-isolate. According to a preliminary report, most heads of departments in the City are among those who tested positive.
It’s on the basis of this that the City Health office today closed all offices and ordered all the staff to undertake tests for COVID-19 in a bid to curb the rise in the cases. The health office of Arua City has set three days of this week to test all the staff at the City Council and at all health outlets within the two Divisions of Arua central and Ayivu.
However, Dr Pontius Apangu the Principal Health officer of Arua City said there is no need for alarm with the positive results of the staff but calls on the public to embrace voluntary testing and vaccination against the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.
Sally Andezu, the Senior Nursing Officer at Arua City and a member of the COVID-19 Test Team said that they have decided to have all the staff tested in order to be sure of their status because of the mix-up of the staff with other people during the festive season.
Josephine Angucia the Police Spokesperson for West Nile says there is no compromise about the standard operating procedures at the Central Police Station and in the Police Barracks.
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