Authorities say that after stopping people from gathering in bars as well as walking at night, bar owners have now shifted the business to their homes, where customers secretly converge to drink. Rukiga Resident District Commissioner Prikeria Muhindo says that many of these do not even observe physical distancing guidelines as outlined by the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation.
Rukiga district Authorities are perturbed by locals who are turning their homes into bars to beat the restrictions imposed to control the spread of coronavirus disease -COVID-19.
Authorities say that after stopping people from gathering in bars as well as walking at night, bar owners have now shifted the business to their homes, where customers secretly converge to drink. Rukiga Resident District Commissioner Prikeria Muhindo says that many of these do not even observe physical distancing guidelines as outlined by the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation.
The guidelines require every person to keep a space of at least 6 feet from other people. This is because COVID-19 spreads mainly among people who are in close contact for a prolonged period, when they cough, sneeze, or talk and droplets from their mouth or nose are launched into the air or land in the mouths or noses of those nearby.
Muhindo says that during their operations, they observed that drinkers are not paying attention to the guideline. Instead, both bar owners and their customers drink while on alert and take off when they see security officers. So far, three homeowners have been arrested for hosting bars in their homes.
Provia Tumwebaze from Rukiga town council says she has personally reported the matter to security authorities for intervention after men including her husband declined to adhere to COVID-19 preventive measures especially on avoiding gatherings. Tumwebaze says that men in the area also gather in bushes and drink alcohol instead of joining their wives in farming.
Moses Twinamasiko, a resident of Kitojo parish in Rwamucucu sub-county says security has failed to curb this vice due to bad roads connecting to areas where bars were shifted into peoples’ homes like Bucundura in Kashambya sub-county. He also says that some areas deserve police outposts in order for such practices to be completely eliminated.
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