KAMPALA — The Ministry of Health has registered 11 new cases of COVID-19 today Thursday April 23, bringing the number of confirmed cases to 74.
The latest cases, are of six Tanzanian truck drivers who arrived via Mutukula border post and five Kenyan truck drivers; 3 arrived via Malaba and 2 arrived via Busia.
The new numbers were recorded on Thursday by the Ministry of Health after testing … at the Uganda Virus Research Centre in Entebbe.
According to Dr Henry Mwebesa, the director general of health services at the Ministry of Health, one case was recorded from 311 samples that were taken from the community and quarantine centres and one case was from 1,020 samples tested from truck drivers at border points of entry.
Within one week, over 17 truck drivers have tested positive for the virus in Uganda, a development that has undermined Uganda’s earlier efforts.
This has created apprehension among Ugandans, calling on authorities to keep the drivers and turnmen at border points until their status has been ascertained.
During Sunday address to the nation, President Museveni said this arrangement will be maintained.
The President said keeping them at the border poses a health risk, is expensive to their bosses and derails business, which ends up hurting the economy.
Mr Museveni instead advised Ugandans to avoid coming into unnecessary contact with them and asked security to ensure the drivers do not mingle with the public on their routes until their statuses have been ascertained.
