Ugandan military starts manufacturing masks in efforts to combat COVID-19

KAMPALA,

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Wednesday said the military has started manufacturing N95 face masks and surgical masks to address a current shortage as the country strives to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Museveni said in a televised address that the National Enterprise Corporation, the army's business arm, will supply 1 million surgical masks and 50,000 N95 masks.

The president said other factories in the country are also gearing up to start manufacturing masks, sanitizers and other personal protective gear.

Some of the health workers who are on the frontline of fighting the pandemic have said they do not have proper gear to enable them to do their work well.

Museveni said that once the local manufacturing of the products starts, the medical people will have enough protective gear.

Uganda currently has 53 confirmed cases of COVID-19, but the government fears the number may rise since some of the confirmed cases interacted with the public before they were quarantined. (Xinhua)