SOP’s to contain Covid 19 in Uganda’s Protected Areas

SOP’s to contain Covid 19 in Uganda’s Protected Areas: In general, Uganda tourism has been closed due to current global COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures instituted by Uganda’s president, this has been severely crippled the economy. For this case, Uganda Wildlife Standard Operating Procedures – ‘SOPs’ are provided to guide the phased re-opening, resumption of tourism and research activities to contain safety and effective delivery of these services in Uganda’s protected areas by ‘’UWA’’. The other ‘’SOPs’’ approved for the sector include the Hospitality Enterprises Standard Operation Procedures, the directives as well as guidelines issued by the government from time to time.

SOP's to contain Covid 19 in Uganda's Protected Areas

Scope of the SOPs

The Uganda wildlife Standard Operation Procedures ‘’SOPs’’ covers management of the various categories of tourists, researchers, tour operators along the research value chain at head office ‘’UWA’’ and in the protected areas. Procedures include bookings and reservation, clearance of researchers, Key tourism activities, Key services like accommodations and restaurants, park access and exit many more.

National guidelines and directives

There has been guideline and directives issues listed from time to time by the Government of Uganda ‘’GoU’’ and Ministry of Health ‘’MoH’’ on Coivid-19, this shall supersede UWA SOPs and observation will be made in entirety. Meanwhile, Uganda Wildlife Authority ‘’SOPs’’ shall be enforced in file with the Government of Uganda and Ministry of Health guideline. 

SOPs for Tourism Services and Activities

Tourism information centres and reservations offices 

UWA shall provide facilities at the entrances of all its premises and protected areas such as hand washing.

Visitors must carry their own masks.

UWA shall provide masks to all its staff. Clients and staff without masks shall not be allowed to enter UWA premises.

All staff and visitors must follow the prescribed made by GoU/MoU.The masks shall cover the nose and mouth at all the times when in use.

At UWA head office, the management shall provide a tent to serve to clients as a waiting area. The arrangement seats will be in such a way that a 2-meter social distancing to be observed.

To ensure smooth flow of visitors in and out apply, other guideline provided by UWA Management to visitors include hand washing, wearing masks, social distancing, respiratory hygiene and sanitisation.

Only five visitors shall be allowed to enter the reservation office at a time to ensure social distancing and seats shall be marked to show where each of these five visitors shall sit to ensure safe distancing.

Staff on duty shall sensitise the visitors on the approved Covid 19 operational guidelines as well as those developed and one approved by UWA management.

The above mentioned guidelines shall be displayed clearly on UWA website and other relevant electronic media platforms.

Options for online payment will be credit or debit card payments and use of mobile money all shall be used as effecting payment for tourism services and activities.

SOPs for Research Activities in the Protected Areas

  1. All researchers coming into protected areas must wear clean clothing and disinfected footwear prior to go to the field for data collection.
  2. Each researcher must carry into the field a hand sanitiser.
  3. There shall be limited time spent conducting a primate research activity to a maximum of one hour per designated research day.
  4. The research team shall compose a maximum number of three people to ensure safety and health monitoring.
  5. There must be a distance of not less than 10 metres away from the primates such as mountain gorillas and chimpanzees.
  6. A surgical facemask must be worn by any one coming within 10 metres ways from primates.
  7. SOPs for Park Access and Exit
  8. UWA shall provide sanitisation facilities at the entrance of all its premises and protected areas. All persons it is a must to wash your hands at all entry points.
  9. All UWA staff, tourists, researchers shall all times wear the recommended masks prescribed by GoU/MoH. The mask must cover the nose and mouth at all times within the park.
  10. All travellers and researchers shall come with their own masks and consistently wear them as prescribed by MoH.
  11. Visitors and researchers visiting to Bwindi Impenetrable national park, Mgahinga Gorilla and Kibale Forest national park and Kyambura Wildlife Reserve shall be required to wear N95 masks, surgical masks or cloth masks with filters.
  12. Visitors with disposable masks like the N95 and surgical masks shall be required to carry at least two or more masks in order to ensure single use for each day of their travel.
  13. It is advisable for all visitors going for primate tracking experience to carry at least two N95 masks or double layered cloth masks with filters.
  14. Tourists without masks and do not tolerate by the handwashing and sanitation measures shall not be allowed to enter into a protected area.
  15. UWA shall provide thermometer measure to conduct body temperature screening of all visitors at the park gates.
  16. Visitors screened a body temperature above 37.5 degree Celsius on the scanner shall not be allowed to enter into the protected areas and immediately shall be reported to the respective district medical teams through the mechanisms provided by Ministry of Healthy.
  17. The most visited areas with heavy tourist’s contacts shall be disinfected at least thrice a day before and after visiting hours. Such as information counters, service desks, waiting areas, park offices and toilets. Toilets in particular shall be sanitised every after 2 hours.
  18. All staff shall be trained on consistent use of masks, infrared thermometers and when handling visitors.
  19. SOPs for Tourist Vehicles and Boats Within the protected Areas

The government of Uganda and Ministry of Health issued out national guidelines to be applied by tourists visiting the National Park for example 

  1. Buses, Minibuses and Omnibuses are recommended to carry half capacity by ‘’GoU and MoH’’.
  2. Over landers shall carry half capacity ‘’by ‘’MoH and GoH.’’
  3. Pick-ups and Lorries –As prescribed by GoH and MoH.

In addition to the above, the following guidelines shall also apply;

  1. Private boats and launches –half capacity occupancy
  2. Tour operator game drive vehicles and UWA owned game drive vehicles with only 6 persons.

c.saloon car vehicles shall not be allowed to carry out game drives activities in the protected areas. 

SOPs for Specific Tourism Activities

1. Briefing of travellers

Before participating in any tourism activities travellers shall be briefed regarding the activities they are about to participate in. Briefing will be done at the designated briefing areas in every protected area. COVID -19 prevention measures shall be an integral part of briefing messages in additional for having information Education and Communication ‘’IEC’’ materials display in appropriate outreach locations.

2. Gorilla and Chimpanzee Tracking

  1. At the briefing points, tourists and staff shall have to wash their hands and have their body temperature taken.
  2. Briefing and debriefing shall be done in small groups of eight visitors after they have been assigned to gorilla families for trekking.

iii. Visitors, staff and porters during the briefing are observed to be sick shall not be allowed to engage in tracking primates. Those reported with signs of flu, diarrhoea, stomach upsets and malaria many more.

  1. All visitors, staff and trackers must wear masks.
  2. A maximum of ‘’6’’ visitors shall be allowed to participate in tracking/ Chimpanzee Trekking of a chimpanzee group at a time.

vii. Travelers must keep a distance of not less than 10 metres away from the gorillas and chimpanzees during this period.

viii. The UWA guides shall ensure there is social distancing of 2 meters among the trackers while tracking.

  1. Before gorilla and chimpanzee tracking commences, all trackers shall sanitise their hands again.
  2. Due to the reported side effects of wearing masks for long hours and in high altitudes, travellers shall take frequent breaks during tracking, as they will be given time to breath fresh air.
  3. During these breaks, social distancing shall be strictly required.

xii. In case of any tourists or accompanying members of the team experiences a health related problem, immediately, UWA staff will apply established evacuation and first aid guidelines to move the affected individual from the field.

3. Game Drives

  1. There shall be regular park rules in places.
  2. The vehicle guidelines in section 6 above shall also apply.

iii. A game drive is done both with a tourists and a tour guide but the guide must sit in the front of the vehicle and shall keep on reminding the tourists to observe social distance requirements.

  1. Masks shall be worn at all times according to the guidelines on use of masks.
  2. Tourists who will experience side effects due to wearing of a mask for long on the African safari. The tourists must inform the guide who shall find a safe and secure place to park to stop the vehicle to allow the tourists to get fresh air while using social distancing. If there is no improvement, UWA staff shall arrange immediate evacuation and transfer to the closest health facility, the game drive activity be suspended.

4. Boat Cruises

  1. Park rules shall apply
  2. The boat and launches guidelines ‘’in section 6’’ above shall apply.

iii. All boat operating in the protected areas it is a must to be cleaned and disinfected daily before deployment on any boat cruise activity.

  1. Guides must ensure that passengers on the boat observe social distancing one free vacant seat between any two occupants.
  2. All passengers and crew must wear masks at all times while on the boat.
  3. If a tourist experiences side effects due to wearing a mask for a long time, shall inform the guide who shall find space within the boat for the client to get some fresh air for a few minutes.

5. Large groups and events /SOP’s to contain Covid 19 in Uganda’s Protected Areas

  1. Schools in large groups exceeding 25 people shall not be allowed to enter the park at the same time for the same activities.
  2. Events such as wedding ceremonies shall not be permitted in the UWA protected areas.

Other Activities

All tourism activities within the visited protected areas shall be undertaken in motoring in order to ensures strict compliances with Uganda wildlife SOPs and the relevant guidelines issued by GoU and MoH.

Please note, the guidelines listed in section 6.5 above shall be reviewed from time to time as the Ministry of Health advises.

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