COVID 19: Positive truck drivers returned to their home countries

Kampala, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT |  Six Kenyan and eight Tanzanian truck drivers who tested positive for Coronavirus Disease COVID-19  have so far been returned to their respective countries, according to the Ministry of Health. 

The Ministry of Health Public Relations Officer Emmanuel Ainebyoona revealed this as he gave out results of the 2,557 samples tested on Monday by the Uganda Virus Research Institute. They all came out negative.

However even as the imported cases have been returned to their respective countries, Dr Henry Mwebesa had earlier indicated that after the first three confirmed cases of truck drivers were returned, the World Health Organization had asked them to start treating them from within the country.

In a statement, Mwebesa said, ” International Health regulations require that every case tested and confirmed for a particular disease should be registered as the host country’s case”, adding that it was against that background that Uganda would start capturing all COVID -9 cases including those of truck drivers and they will be treated here.

However, when Uganda Radio Network asked Dr Joyce Moriku Kaducu, the State Minister of Health in charge of Primary Health Care why this position had changed, she couldn’t reveal why.

Currently, Uganda has a total of 79 confirmed cases of which 47 have recovered and have been discharged from the various treatment Centers.

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