Ugandan health officials have raised concerns about the resurgence of COVID-19 infections following the admission of five patients in the country.

According to Dr Anne Marion Natumutebi of Kabale Regional Referral Hospital, one patient has since been discharged while five are still undergoing medication at the facility.

The Monitor reports that the newly infected persons presented flu-like symptoms, cough, and COVID-related conditions.

Dr Natumutedi attributed the new cases to a lack of vaccination.

“We are hopeful that widespread vaccination will mitigate the impact, but unfortunately, many people in Uganda are not fully vaccinated, and some have not received any vaccination at all. Therefore, we anticipate continued variations of COVID-19 in our community,” Dr Namutebi explained as quoted by the Monitor.

 Kabale District Health Educator Alfred Besigensi stressed the importance of public participation in vaccination and adherence to safety measures stating: “We urge the public to get vaccinated, practice mask-wearing, use sanitizers, and avoid crowded places to curb the virus’ spread.”

In May last year, the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 no longer a global health emergency.

There have been more than 765 million confirmed Covid-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, according to WHO data. Nearly 7 million people have died.