Another returnee tests positive for Covid-19 as Health Ministry confirms 18 new cases

Another returnee who arrived in the country on July 5, 2020, has tested positive for Covid-19 as the national tally of confirmed cases hits 971 in Uganda.

The returnee, an Indian resident in Uganda was part of the eighteen (18) new cases of Covid-19 that were announced on Tuesday afternoon.

According to Dr. Henry Mwebesa who is the Director-General Health Services at the Ministry of Health, the returnee was under quarantine at the time of the test.

"Of the 18 confirmed cases, seven are truck drivers, ten are contacts and alerts; five from Tororo, three from Luwero and two from Amuru Districts," Dr. Mwebesa said.

The number of returnees who have tested positive for Covid-19 since the government started to repatriate Ugandans that were stuck abroad has now reached 17 as 11 other returnees from Afghanistan tested positive, 2 foreign nationals from India, One from South Africa, two from DRC and this new case from India.

The Nile Post understands that all returnees are required to undertake a PCR test for coronavirus from their country of origin and must present certificates indicating that they are negative of the virus before boarding the plane back home.

Discordance in results is a matter that is still under investigation by several countries.

Uganda and Kenya have suffered a similar fate recently with samples testing positive and then negative on retesting.

The Lancet laboratory in Kenya explained that the discordance “does not necessarily undermine the quality and accuracy of respective labs and tests.”

Uganda has so far carried out a cumulative total of samples of 212,860.

According to the Ministry of Health, there are now 202 active cases on admission with 173 Ugandans, 26 foreigners, and 3 refugees.

The ministry said that foreigners and refugees, although admitted in Uganda's health facilities, are not captured in the cumulative Covid-19 cases.

The country has also registered 896 recoveries from the Coronavirus and no death has been recorded this far.