Kampala, Uganda | URN | There is need to exercise high levels of hygiene especially when dealing with currencies, Dr. Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam, the World Health Organization (WHO) country director has advised.
He explains that touching money is one of the fastest ways through, which the Corona virus can be spread since it goes through many hands in a day.
He says it is important that people disinfect their hands each time they touch money.
Dr. Henry Mwebesa, the Director-General of Health Services agrees, saying money is one of the confirmed ways of spreading the Corona virus disease in addition to sneezing, coughing and handshakes.
The Health Ministry encourages members of the public wash hands or use sanitisers each time they handle money because many people use saliva to count money, which can easily spread the virus.
COVID19 that was first reported in China on December 31, 2019, has so far spread to over 100 countries globally.
The virus has infected more than 120,000 people and claimed 4,000 others prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare it a global pandemic.
Across in Kenya, In order to avoid the risk of transmission through physical handling of money, President Uhuru Kenyatta encouraged the use of cashless transactions such as mobile money and credit cards.
Kenyatta has also announced the closure of all schools with immediate effect and urged employers to allow their workers to work from home in a bid to combat further spread of the virus.
He also announced a travel ban to all countries that have confirmed coronavirus cases, and said only Kenyan nationals and foreigners with permits will be allowed into Kenya henceforth.
Meanwhile, Kenya registered two more cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) on Sunday 15th, March 2020 after confirming its first case on Friday. According to President Uhuru Kenyatta, after the first case confirmation, the government traced the 27 people who’d come in contact with the first patient, and two of them tested positive for the virus on Sunday. The government is now tracing the other people the two patients came in contact with.
African countries that have recorded coronavirus cases
1. Egypt
2. Algeria
3. Nigeria
4. Tunisia
5. Senegal
6. Morocco
7. South Africa
8. Cameroon
9. Togo
10. Burkina Faso
11. DR Congo
12. Cote d’Ivoire
13. Ghana
14. Gabon
15. Kenya
16. Ethiopia
17. Eswatini (formerly Swaziland)
18. Sudan
19. Mauritania
20. Equatorial Guinea
21. Rwanda
22. Namibia
23. Congo Brazaville
24. Central African Republic
