Uganda’s Coronavirus cases skyrocket to 160 after 21 truckers test positive
Uganda on Thursday recorded its highest number of infections in a single day when 21 truck drivers tested positive.
“The new cases include 8 Kenyan, 7 Tanzanians, 5 Ugandans and one South Sudanese truck drivers who arrived via Mutukula, Busia and Elegu borders,” the Ministry of Health said in a tweet on Thursday evening.
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According to the Ministry, the 21 were from 1593 samples of truck drivers tested by the Uganda Virus Research Institute in Entebbe whereas all the 303 community samples were negative.
The development comes at a time when the Ministry of Health announced that preliminary results from the rapid assessment survey indicate that there are no community infections in the country so far.
“The Ministry of Health has developed various proposals and these will be implemented going forward. There is no evidence of community transmissions in Uganda at the time,” Aceng said on Thursday.
Aceng however noted that communities along the country’s borderline remain at high risk and that the Ministry has now switched focus to all border points and their communities.
“An app has been developed to check in drivers, be quarantined and remain in the pool. We are also creating a buffer zone for community-based surveillance between Uganda and neighboring countries.”
According to the minister, porous borders, communities along routes of truck drivers and contacts of previous positive cases also remain the potential areas of worry but noted that they have a testing capacity of 15000 PCR test per day.
“The country is stepping up testing to 10,000 PCR tests per day in case need arises. Initially, testing was exclusively at the Uganda Virus Research Institute, which has tremendous job. We have identified several other institutes that can be activated for testing,” Aceng said.
Dr Misaki Wayengera said there will be no extension of the lockdown past May 18 when the current lockdown expires next week but noted there will be phased lifting and not total lifting.
However, Prof Rhoda Wanyenze who is part of the national Covid-19 task force warned that lifting the lockdown is not permanent, and that if Ugandans don't adhere to measures and the cases explode, the lockdown can be reinstated.
can resort back to lockdown including localised lockdown of communities - districts/town or workplace lockdown.
Uganda’s confirmed Covid-19 cases are now at 160 whereas the recoveries are at 63.
