96 people return from Europe, North Africa

Entebbe, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT |  Another batch of Ugandans and legal residents returned to the country on Tuesday evening from various European and North African countries aboard Ethiopian Airlines. The airline picked 48 people from Germany and another 48 individuals from various European and North African countries including Egypt.

The other returnees were from Austria, Poland and the Vatican. The group included 10 children. After screening at the airport, the returnees were taken to 23 sites in Kampala and Wakiso for institutional quarantine.   They will spend a minimum of 14 days before they are allowed to travel to their respective destinations within the country.  The returnees got stranded overseas following the closure of Uganda’s borders on March 23rd as part of the measures to combat the spread of corona virus disease- COVID-19 in Uganda. 

Government officials, students, staff of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ Uganda) German Corporation for International Cooperation, Poland, Austria and the Vatican registered with Uganda’s embassy in Germany to return to the country.   The returnees were seen off at the Frankfurt Main International Airport by Uganda’s Ambassador to Germany, Marcel R. Tibaleka and other Mission Staff. Tibaleka lauded the group for their  patience amidst the difficult times  as a result of the pandemic.

This group brings to 1,693, the number of returnees since the country started receiving stranded Uganda and legal residents on June 22nd, 2020. Another 490 returnees from Saudi Arabia, West Africa and Qatar are expected to arrive by end of this week. 

In April, government registered 2,400 Ugandans who were stranded in 66 countries across the world due to travel restrictions. Those still overseas will return in phases to avoid congestion in the 37 gazetted quarantine centers.

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