Uganda reduces testing time for COVID-19 prior travel to 72 hours
The Ministry of Health has announced that individuals planning to travel to and out of Uganda will now be required to present a negative PCR COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours.
Dr. Henry G. Mwebesa, the Director General Health Services at the health ministry said in a letter dated June 29, 2021, that the new timeline takes effect starting July 3, 2021.
“All travellers arriving or departing from Uganda are required to have a COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of travel with effect from 3 July 2021. Please note that the 72 hours begins on the day the sample is collected for testing,” Dr. Mwebesa said.
Prior to this new timeline, travellers using Entebbe International Airport to depart or arrive had to present a negative PCR COVID-19 test taken within 120 hours from the date of testing.
Dr. Mwebesa said that the timeline revision comes against the background that Uganda is currently experiencing a resurgence of COVID-19 in the country.
Uganda is currently grappling with a second wave of the Coronavirus pandemic, with at least five variants of the virus circulating in the communities.
The country is currently counting 11 days off the 42 days lockdown, instituted by President Museveni as a measure of containing the spread.
Departing and arriving travellers must also request for a car sticker online, to ease movement within districts according to the new guidelines that were issued by Katushabe Winston, the Commissioner Transport Safety and Regulation at the Ministry of Works and Transport.
