Uganda registers 15 new Coronavirus cases

A total of 15 new Coronavirus cases have been registered in Uganda in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health has said.

“Of these 12 new cases are truck drivers, 10 of who arrived via Elegu, two arrived via Busia and Malaba respectively while three cases are contacts to previously confirmed truck drivers,” the Ministry said in a tweet.

“All the contacts were under quarantine at the time of arrest whereas 23 positive foreign truck drivers were handed over to their country of origin.”

According to the Ministry of Health, a total of 2106 samples were tested on Friday, 1248 from points of entry whereas 858 samples were got from communities.

Uganda’s confirmed cases are now at 175 whereas 68 of these have successfully recovered and returned home.

Transborder truck drivers have been blamed for the increased new Coronavirus infections in Uganda but recently, President Museveni issued a directive that only drivers who test positive will be allowed into the country.

Consequently, foreign drives who test positive and are asked to return to return to their countries whereas Ugandan truck drivers who test positive are evacuated to hospital for treatment.

Uganda however made exception of the Elegu border with South Sudan because the newest country on the continent has not yet got capacity to carry out mass tests.

Consequently, all truck drivers who test positive at the Elegu border are evacuated for treatment.