Three hotels closed, workers quarantined for hosting positive Coronavirus guests

Police in Mbarara have closed three hotels and two lodges in Mbarara after some of their guests later tested positive of Coronavirus.

According to the Rwizi region police spokesperson, Samson Kasasira, Rwampara Suites, Leisure Park International, Acacia hotel, African guest house and Golden Monkey guest house(Kisoro), all found in Kakoba division, Mbarara city were on Saturday closed for hosting people who later tested positive.

“A URA official who stayed at Acacia hotel had moved from Bunagana border in Kisoro. Later his driver tested positive for the virus but his results were released when the two were already in Mbarara for two days. The victim(driver) was sleeping at African guest house,”Kasasira said.

The Mbarara police mouthpiece added that another moneychanger at the Mutukula border with Tanzania had spent several nights at  Leisure Park International hotel and Golden Monkey guest house where he shared a room with a friend.

“He had been tested at the Mutukula border but was informed of his results while he was already in Mbarara. Due to the close proximity of Leisure Park International and Rwampara Suites, both were  closed for safety purposes.”

Kasasira noted that the patients had been transferred to Mbarara Regional referral hospital for treatment whereas samples of their contacts have been taken for examination and quarantined at Rwetanga Farm Institute.

According to police,  all the workers for the hotels and guest houses have been isolated for 14 days to avoid spread of the viurs.

“All workers at the mentioned motels and hotel, their samples have been taken for examination and those who had close engagement with the victims and their contacts have also been quarantined,”Kasasira said.

The latest development comes at a time when experts are beginning to get concerned over the increasing number of community infections.

The latest Coronavirus situation report released by the Ministry of Health indicates that over 40% of the cumulative national total cases are resulting from local transmission.

The Ministry of Health on Friday announced that Uganda has registered its third Coronavirus death after a 67- year old Nigerian man who has been residing in Kisenyi succumbed to the virus.

Uganda’s confirmed Coronavirus cases are 1,154 and 1,028  of these have fully recovered and discharged.