With the outbreak of Covid ’19, a global pandemic in December 2019 in the Chinese City of Wuhan and later spread across the World at the start of this year, taking its wider toll in Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa, China, the Americas and part of the Oceania region, Countries enforced mandatory close off of borders putting a halt on all kinds of travel while border entry points and Airports were all closed off as lockdowns and curfews were enforced to reduce further spread of the Coronavirus as many countries registered overwhelming numbers and deaths including Africa.
Among the most hit hard sectors by Covid ’19 was the Tourism and Hospitality sector both in the whole world and Uganda. When Uganda registered her first Coronavirus case in March, a lockdown was announced by His Excellency President Yoweri Kaguta, and as a result, a chain of the Country’s sectors were temporarily halted from operations. Currently, as Uganda continues to lift its lockdown and some sectors of the economy resuming operations, the Tourism and hospitality sector stands one of them. In June, the sector reopened with observance of health guidelines by the Ministry of health in Uganda and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) were introduced to be mandatorily followed by industry stakeholders and entire tourism and hospitality business value chain including guests to the premises now that hotels, restaurants and the tourism sector were reopened for the domestic market as foreign visitors/tourists remain prohibited from access to Uganda since Entebbe International Airport and all border entry points remain sealed off from international air travel except repatriation flights, medical emergencies and cargo.
Now, the Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities Col. (Rtd) Tom Butime on Friday 7th August, launched Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to be followed by Tourism Enterprises in Uganda during the Covid ’19 pandemic as Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre (UWEC) formally reopened operations to the general public and all guidelines to be compulsorily followed by both guests and staff at the centre among other tourism enterprise value chain while he handed over SOPs to concerned industry leaders including Uganda Wildlife Authority, Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre, Uganda Hospitality and Tourism Institute among others.
It should be recalled that since March 2020 when Uganda went on a lockdown, the Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre (UWEC) went on a temporal closure off from all forms of visitors so as to protect staff and primates from contracting the deadily Coronavirus and upon reopening on Friday, a number of pre-opening Coronavirus preventive guidelines were issued in partnership with the Covid ’19 taskforce and that the same health guidelines to be mandatorily observed across the different institutions of the Tourism and hospitality value chain including national parks operated by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).
Flavia Kabahenda, the Board Chairman for UWEC revealed before the Honorable Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities that UWEC is more than prepared to follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) as unveiled in order to ensure the safety of everyone that will be at centers’ custody.
Dr David Musingo, the Director of Education at UWEC added that the centre will be reopening in five (5) different phases ongoing till December 2021 so as to ensure the primate; staff and guests remain safe from contracting Covid ’19.
He said that, the centre has marked a 2 meter social distance to be followed while at the centre as it has partnered with Entebbe Grade B hospital for admissions and management of Covid ’19 in case any staff or guest confirms positive for Coronavirus as related communication has been also drawn in paintings especially when one is going to view the animals.
He added that, ‘’We are encouraging Cashless payments such as; Online Banking, Mobile money transactions and also use of Point of Sale terminals (POS) as no form of live cash transactions will be allowed at the centre for Covid ’19 preventive purposes. While for Accommodation, we will use the sector’s earlier launched SOPs to be followed for all our Accommodation facilities’’.
Dr. Musingo also revealed that Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre is reopening but in Five (5) different phases starting August 2020 till December 2021 as these include;
Phase One, which comprised closing off the center from all forms of guests in March till Friday August 7th 2020.
Phase Two, includes reopening from August to December 2020 as operation will stand at 15% capacity thereby allowing only 300 guests per day out of the 2,000 daily people that have always visited the premises pre – Covid. During this phase, only 100 people will be allowed to enter per session upon pre-booking online or through call centre and guests will do individual tours while at the facility as there will be no tour guide.
Phase Three, will commence between December 2020 to March 2021 operating at 30% capacity on a total of 600 people per day and 200 per session also upon pre – booking.
Phase Four, also known as the recovery phase will be operating at 60% capacity as only 1,200 people will access the facility a day upon pre-booking and this will be between May to December 2021.
Phase Five/Fully Operational phase, shall operate at 80% capacity as the centre is prospected to receive up to 1,600 daily guests as these will also sanitize at every point of the centre or national parks even during that time as it is for all the previous phases.
The Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities (Rtd) Hon Tom Butime upon unveiling Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Tourism Enterprises stressed that, the Tourism sector reopened earlier and reason for the formal launch of the SOPs was that there would be no excuse for anybody involved in the industry either an as investor or anybody inform of a visitor transiting through the facility and that everyone will know how to go about.
He noted that, ‘’Soon as the Airport and border entry points reopen including Kenya, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, visitors from all neighboring countries will have been informed on the standards to follow upon entering Uganda. In other wards, even when entering via Entebbe International Airport, one shouldn’t bring danger of the virus to Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre (UWEC)’’.
Minister Tom Butime further said that, the Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre (UWEC) or Entebbe Zoo as well known is now fully open to the general public in Uganda for both parents and children above the age of 6 years while those below that age are not allowed at the premises including the elderly that are not fit to wear face masks for health complications as they can wait until the virus situation calms abit.
Dr. James Musinguzi, the Head at UWEC quoted that, ‘’Our rates remain the same as of before as we want everyone to come and enjoy Uganda’s one stop wildlife showcase centre before they can even make decisions of visiting national parks later as we have all varieties of bird species and wild animals to enjoy viewing. Children pay as low as Shs5, 000 while Adults pay only Shs10, 000’’.
During the Lockdown, the Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre (UWEC) ran out of funds to cater for salaries and food for the animals and as a result, most employees including tour guides lost their jobs though animals managed to receive support from the Ministry of Tourism (MTWA), Wildlife and Antiquities, Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), Uganda Tourism Institute (UTI), and the General Public.
Standard Operating Procedures to be followed at UWEC Comprise;
2 meter Social distancing to be put in place.
Temperature checks are mandatory for all guests and those whose temperature exceeds 37.5 degrees celicious will immediately be evacuated to Entebbe Grade B hospital and treatment.
Sanitization by staff and guests at every point of entry at UWEC shall be mandatory.
Regular hand cleaning / Sanitization using soap or an Alcoholic based liquid by all staff and guests shall remain imposed.
Digital booking / online pre- booking will be allowed at the Centre as random walk in Clients are not allowed.
Cashless transactions only to be allowed at UWEC, no live cash monetary transactions at the centre.
All staff will wear Covid ’19 protective transparent sunscreens for special separation between staff and clients while they transact.
Before start of each trip, guests shall always sanitize.
Facemasks will be provided at the Centre for free as no client will comment they forgot theirs at home.
Guests travelling together are urged to consider a 2 meter social distance between themselves at every second.
All Boats and Vehicles at the centre will always be fumigated at all times.
Third party cleaners and car washers at the centre shall have to wear appropriate gear.
Cameras and Binoculars shall be sanitized and not to be shared at all time.
All guests shall inform the host home stay, community or cultural village of their own to be booked Online.
Shops and vendors shall always observe proper hygiene practices at all times.
Finally, Guests shall be provided sanitizers.
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