The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Ministry of Health is stopping foreign nationals from countries that have registered cases of coronavirus from travelling to Uganda.
The decision came after the disease now known as COVID-19 has spread to over 76 countries outside China where the outbreak is believed to have started in 2019. According to health ministry officials that URN spoke to, this move is directed at making sure that no cases of the disease enter the country.
Dr Allan Muruta, the commissioner in charge of Epidemiology Surveillance and Public Health Emergencies at the Ministry of Health says that they are asking people who plan to travel to Uganda from countries that have cases not to come.
Dr Muruta says that when it comes to health and unknown disease such as the COVID 19, all necessary precautions need to be taken.
“We are not over reacting. This disease is spreading and we do not want it to enter Uganda. We have been talking to officials from affected countries on phone and telling them not to come. Our next step will be writing to them,” Dr Muruta says.
Due to such restrictions, conferences, organisers of international conferences are scaling down. An example is the Media and Information Literacy Conference due to take place at Protea Hotel on Thursday, which has stopped some of its invternational speakers from travelling. Under the new arrangement, Speakers from the Netherlands and Germany will have to make their presentation via Skype according to one of the organizers of the event.
Mirjam Gehrke, the DW Akademie Country Coordinator for Uganda says that they had to take the precautions to avoid the involuntary spread of the virus into the country. According to Gehrke, speakers from African countries such as Namibia will be attending the conference and are advised to follow the necessary travel precautions like screening set up by government.
However for those that insist to travel to Uganda, Dr Muruta says they undergo mandatory screening and isolation in case they present with symptoms associated with the disease.
If travelers present with any flu, cough or high temperatures, the health ministry asks them to carry out self-isolation for 14 days. During this period, health workers get in touch with you via phone to check to follow up on your symptoms.
Worldwide over 90,000 cases have been confirmed from over 70 countries. According to WHO, only 11 cases have been reported in Africa majority of which-five are in Algeria followed by Egypt with two confirmed cases. Other countries such as Senegal, Nigeria, Morocco and Tunisia are all reported to have one confirmed case each.
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Life is the first priority and then other businesses follow, without life, no business activity can be done, truly right and 100% correct but, taking screening measures put us on a risk of 5 – 10 % to have a virus imported! Holding that risk is a bigger risk than sending 300,000 soldiers into a war! Why not close the borders fully for any immigrants from the infected countries? Our nation is a poor one with very low health standards, 10% is a big risk to take! Every decision that comes onto agreement is a very big determination for the future of our country. We have no any other from Uganda so please react to the maximum.