State House has cancelled the accreditation of Journalists for the presidential address on the corona virus scheduled for Wednesday at State House Entebbe.
On Tuesday morning, the president’s Deputy Press Secretary, Linda Wamboka Nabusayi invited media houses to send names of their reporters for accreditation to the cover President, Yoweri Museveni’s address on the Corona Virus Updates.
“HE the President will address the Nation tomorrow Wednesday March 18, 2020 at 2pm on the Corona Virus Updates at SHE. Please send names of journalists through Editors. Also indicate if you are going to do live coverage/Use phone etc. Deadline is 6pm today,” read the message.
Shortly after, Nabusayi sent another message indicating that to avoid overcrowding only live coverage teams would be accredited. “Please NOTE that as a measure to protect against COVID19 by avoid crowding, we shall be accrediting only teams doing live coverage. TV stations will share links for reporters/Social Media/some radios to follow from respective Newsrooms. We shall post final list here for your attention,” read the message.
A few minutes later, Nabusayi returned with another message indicating that they had been advised against the meeting by relevant health officials. “Colleagues, as advised by the relevant health officials against meetings, PPU will relay the President’s address live. There will be no access to any other media to State House Entebbe-SHE. We shall be sharing with you the link and content for your use. #StaySafe,” she said.
Usually dozens of journalists are accredited to cover State House events, but the number varies depending on the need and event at hand. Although Uganda hasn’t registered any case of corona virus, the country is on high alert given the fact that Uganda’s neighbors Kenya and Rwanda have confirmed cases.
So far 184,000 people have tested positive for Corona virus globally while another 7000 have succumbed to the disease. Several celebrities and renown personalities like Actors Tom Hanks, Eldris Elba and Sports Men including Rudy Gobert of NBA have tested Positive.
The virus is transmitted through contact with an infected person. The WHO has since advised people to wash hand with soap or alcohol based sanitisers to prevent infection.
The News Editor ,Reporter at Kagadi Kibaale community Radio
