Kampala, May 28 (IANS) Uganda on Thursday assured tourists that national parks and other tourist attractions across the East African country remain safe to visit, saying Ebola prevention measures have been strengthened at all sites.

Robust health and preventive measures have been put in place at tourist destinations, Bashir Hangi, communications officer of the Uganda Wildlife Authority, the state agency responsible for managing national parks, told Xinhua by telephone.

“Our parks are safe. We are practising safe tourism. We have put in place SOPs (standard operating procedures) at our game parks and tourist attraction centres to protect the safety of our tourists,” he said, Xinhua news agency reported.

“We have thermal temperature screening stations at the park entrance, mandatory sanitisation, and have installed handwashing facilities, among others, to prevent and contain Ebola at our game parks,” Hangi said.

He noted that the Ebola outbreak has prompted some tourists to postpone their travel plans to Uganda.

“Some of them (tour companies) are telling us they are getting reschedules. People are not refusing to come, but are choosing to come at a later date,” Hangi said.

Some countries have issued travel advisories against travel to Uganda following Ebola outbreaks reported in the country and neighbouring eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Ugandan authorities, however, say the outbreak in the country has been contained, noting that no new cases have recently been reported.

According to the Ministry of Health, Uganda has recorded seven confirmed Ebola cases, while contacts linked to the cases are under quarantine.

Uganda has banned mass public gatherings in an effort to curb the spread of the Ebola virus disease in the East African country.

In a circular issued late Wednesday, the Ministry of Health said activities that attract large crowds, including music concerts, cultural festivals, public rallies, political mobilisation events, marathons, and cross-border marketing activities, are prohibited.

“These activities increase risk by promoting close physical interaction, uncontrolled crowd mixing, and unnecessary movement, which may facilitate transmission of Ebola infection where an infected person is present,” the statement said.

The ministry said official, institutional, and other essential gatherings may still be permitted, provided organisers strictly adhere to the standard operating procedures on Ebola prevention.

For approved gatherings, organisers are required to ensure controlled attendance to avoid overcrowding, enforce mandatory handwashing or the use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers, conduct temperature screening before entry, and designate a focal person to oversee compliance with Ebola prevention and control measures.

Security agencies and district authorities have been directed to strictly enforce the measures, particularly in high-risk and border areas, in order to limit non-essential movement and prevent further spread of the disease.

–IANS

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