EASTERN PROVINCE

NYAGATARE — District has banned the movement of  dead bodies across the border from Uganda over the deadly Ebola virus.

The resolution was reached at a recent district Security Council meeting chaired by Mayor Robert Kashemeza. The meeting urged police not to allow any corpse from Uganda into the country through all border posts.

There is fear that if bodies of Ebola victims are brought into the country they may carry the deadly  hemorrhagic  Ebola virus; so for that reason it’s advisable to rule out any crossing of dead bodies  from the other side of Uganda.” Kasehemeza told participants at the meeting.

Kashemeza asked all sector executive secretaries and police to carry out surveillance to ensure that no single corpse crosses through the narrow entry points.

It was observed that some people move freely through such border points into sectors which share frontiers with Uganda.

During the meeting, it was also noted that even after introducing compulsory medical screening at the border by the Ministry of Health, in Nyagatare, residents close to parts of Uganda freely cross the border using narrow entry points.

The disease has claimed over 30 lives since its latest outbreak in Uganda.

Other issues discussed during the Monday meeting include the state of sanitation around Nyagatare public market which worries authorities.

It was decided that the issue would be addressed with urgent attention before it turned out to be a health hazard to residents.

Responding to the issue of rampant dogs in Karama sector, which have lately posed a threat to people, the mayor asked sector authorities to convene a meeting with residents to sort out the problem.

He suggested that the animals would be poisoned or shot if they became a menace to community saying, "We can’t allow our people to be at risk, we need to take action right away to save residents.”

The district police commander superintendent, Emmanuel Kalasi urged sector leaders to help police in curbing down the rampant cattle theft across the district as the festive cerebrations draw closer.

The meeting was largely aimed at laying security strategies during the festive season, according to the mayor.

Ends