MOH: Body of Ugandan repatriated from Dubai not related to COVID-19

Kampala, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT |  A Ugandan who passed away in Dubai and whose body was repatriated into the country was an accident and not COVID-19 victim , Ministry of Health has clarified.

The Director-General of Health Services Dr Henry Mwebesa says that the person whose body was repatriated from Dubai passed away due to an accident and not COVID-19 as has been reported in the media. There was a second body from Qatar, of a Ugandan who died of cute Respiratory Syndrome, but was handled with caution.

The public had been alarmed by a message indicating that the national COVID-19  Taskforce together with the team from the Ministry of Health had intercepted a body brought in the country as Cargo from Dubai and picked from the airport by APlus. 

“The case of death of the individual from Dubai, UAE was an accident. The body arrived at Entebbe International Airport on Saturday 18 April 2020 and was buried safely,” Dr Mwebesa said in a statement released thereafter.

Dr Mwebesa equally clarifies that another body that arrived from Qatar on April 19, 2020, had Acute Respiratory Syndrome and not COVID-19.

Despite this, the body was given a safe burial by Red cross officials and all persons who came into the contact with the body, are undergoing a 14 institutional quarantine in Kayunga. These include six 6 APlus employees and two family members.

President Yoweri Museveni on Sunday advised all Ugandans not to repatriate dead bodies but let them be buried where they are during this COVID-19 pandemic, in order to limit exposure since bodies have to go through countries that have been devastated by COVID-19. 

As of today, Uganda has 61 confirmed cases of COVID-19 after one new case tested positive on Tuesday.  The new case is of a 32-year-old Kenyan driver who entered Uganda through the Malaba border crossing from Kenya.

” The driver did not have any signs and symptoms that are consistent with COVID-19. He was tested as part of the procedure for all cargo transporters. He is being taken to Entebbe for treatment,” Dr Mwebesa said.

So far 38 patients have been discharged from different treatment centres bringing down the number of active cases to 23. No death has yet been reported.

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