KAMPALA — Health Minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng has announced that two mobile PCR laboratories have been procured to quicken coronavirus testing at border entries.
Speaking to the media on Saturday afternoon, Dr. Aceng confirmed that the two PCR laboratories will be received in the country on Sunday April 19 and officially be commissioned by Prime Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda who also chairs the National Taskforce on coronaviris response.
They will be deployed at the congested border points to quicken testing and return of results, she said.
Dr Aceng gave status update on coronavirus response in Uganda and appealed to all of Ugandans who live along the roads followed by the truck drivers including the women who interact with them for different purposes to stay away from these truck drivers.
“During this period of Lock down, please do not accept visitors into your homes, not even neighbors, ensure adequate physical distancing with people who do not live with you every day,” she appealed.
As of Saturday April 18, she said Uganda has a cumulative number of 55 confirmed cases, of these, 20 have recovered while 35 are active cases.
“Please note that this is a cumulative number comprising recoveries,” she said, noting active cases are the cases that still have the virus and are undergoing treatment at the respective health facilities.”
From the onset of the Pandemic to date, she said, a total of 9,975 tests have been done, with 9,920 returning negative while 55 were confirmed positive.
Dr. Aceng also said that all staff in Entebbe hospital who have been taking care of the patients have been screened for COVID-19 and all tested negative and that arepeat test will be done after two weeks.
Of 9,975 tests done to date, 2,878 are from borders, 700 are contacts and 6,397 are part of the high risk travelers, she said adding that “over 8,000 people have already been identified and cleared”.
“To-date, a total of 2,878 samples from truck drivers have been screened and tested, of these, of these, one Ugandan truck driver tested positive, while the other two were from Kenya and Tanzania respectively,” the Minister said, noting that screening and testing truck drivers is ongoing across the 53 Point of Entries.
