The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The number of Uganda’s COVID-19 cases has risen to 139 after 13 truck drivers tested positive yesterday.
The new cases are seven Ugandans, five Kenyans and one Eritrean who arrived from Tanzania, South Sudan and Kenya via Mutukula, Elegu and Malaba border posts.
These are part of 2,104 samples that were tested at the Uganda Virus Research Institute. This brings the number of infected truck drivers registered to over 70 according to the health ministry.
The health ministry is still tracking the drivers. So far, over 2,000 contacts of all the other truck drivers who tested positive earlier have been followed up by the ministry of health.
The high number of truck drivers testing positive has been a cause of anxiety and contention among locals who arare scared for their lives. The truck drivers are equally complaining about the long queues at border points.
To minimise the spread of the disease, presidents of the East African Community yesterday agreed to carry out double testing of drivers. Drivers will be tested in their countries and only allowed to drive once they test negative. They will also have to undergo another test when entering another country.
In addition to this, the health ministry officials are eager to introduce new testing methods that will allow for more controlled movement of drivers.
The use of Genexpert machines that allow for the release of results within an hour was supposed to start on Wednesday at the Malaba and Mutukula border points of entry. However due to logistical issues this was not able to take place.
Dr Diana Atwine, the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Health says that there are some construction works that are still taking place.
“Genexpert machines produce alot of heat and there’s need to have a cooling system for it. We are still making preparations for these to be availed,” Dr Atwine said.
*******
URN
The issue of truck drivers is making innocent ugandans to suffer and killing themselves,let each individual country carry their own cross ,if not close boarders totally afterall wat we eat does not come from outside countries.we wamt to go bak and work .we are recording cases of death every day which are not corona related.the community is totally corona free ‘no coronavirus has incubation period of more than three months!