A Ugandan truck driver has tested positive of the deadly Coronavirus, the Ministry of Health has said.
“One new COVID-19 case confirmed today among the 1,116 samples of truck drivers. The new case is a Ugandan driver who arrived from Kenya via Malaba. All 417 samples in the community tested negative. Total samples tested today are 1,533. Total confirmed COVID-19 cases now 75,” the Minister for Health, Dr.Jane Ruth Aceng said in a tweet.
President Museveni on Friday said government will not stop truck drivers coming into the country but noted negotiations with other countries are ongoing to get a solution without hurting trade among the East African states.
The Internal Affairs Minister, Gen.Jeje Odong on Thursday said government might be forced to ask foreign truck drivers to stop at the border and the goods are driven by their Ugandan counterparts.
“If a vehicle is coming from Mombasa, the driver will drive up to the border at Malaba or Busia and will stop there. We sanitize the vehicle and it is handed over to his counterpart in Uganda. His counterpart will drive to the final destination in Uganda or to the border exit of the country,” Odongo said.
The Minister, however said this idea will be subject to negotiations between East African governments before being adopted.