Most business operators in Hoima district have started wearing hand gloves as a precaution against catching the deadly Ebola virus that’s threatening the district.
Although health officials have said there is no Ebola in Hoima, business operators are not taking any chances. In most supermarkets, shops and banks in town, the operators are not handling money with bare hands.
Peter Balikenda, head of personnel at Peoples Supermarket, says given the fact that they handle a number of customers whose origin they do not know the gloves are there to help them avoid bare handshakes.
Balikenda explains that let alone handshakes, handling of money from various customers puts them at risk of catching the disease especially from people that could have contracted Ebola.
He says the gloves are meant to guard against direct handling of money.
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It’s not only business operators that are taking the Ebola precautions seriously but also those in social places like churches.
Reverend Paddy Irumba, the Vicar at All Saints Church in Hoima town, says Christians have been urged to stop handshaking not until the region is declared Ebola free. In churches Christians always shake hands as a show of peace and love.
However according to Reverend Irumba, all this is no more, advising Christians to only wave at each other.
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At Hoima central market however business seems as usual as vendors shake hands and interact as usual.
Godfrey Abitegeka, the central market vice chairperson, says as market leaders they feel there is little to sensitize vendors on the Ebola outbreak since this information is all over the media.
Health officials have warned against social gatherings and body contacts saying this exposes one to deadly hemorrhagic virus.
Meanwhile in Kibaale the Ebola death toll remains at 18 and by Wednesday evening, at least 18 people were still admitted at Kagadi hospital.
The district Health Officer Dr Dan Kyamanywa said at the time of filing this report his team was still in the field.
He hopped that new admissions were likely to be made. A total of 36 cases have been registered in Kibaale alone ever since the disease outbreak early this month.
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