Kampala, UGANDA
Uganda’s Ministry of Health
reduced the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country following an order by
President Yoweri Museveni to strike off all foreign truck drivers from the
country’s case count.A woman hawks merchandise past transit trucks at Mpondwe border that separates Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, in Mpondwe, Uganda
According to the ministry, Uganda
now has 145 confirmed COVID-19 cases compared to the Africa CDC figure of 264
as of May 20.
Uganda had previously shifted its
initial position and began adding positive tests from neighbouring countries in
its tally and treating such cases locally in accordance with World Health
Organisation guidelines.
“Following a Presidential
Directive of deducting all foreign truck drivers from Uganda’s case count, the
confirmed COVID-19 cases now stand at 145,” the ministry said in a tweet.
The ministry made the
announcement even as it confirmed 10 new COVID-19 cases, the majority of them
of truck drivers.
“Today, 20 May, 10 new COVID-19
cases confirmed. 9 new cases are truck drivers while 1 case is a contact to a
confirmed truck driver,” the ministry tweeted.
The ministry also said that a
total of 124 foreign truck drivers had been handed back to their respective
countries since the issuing of the presidential directive. It, however, did not
state their nationalities.
Cross-border transmission of the
coronavirus has emerged as a concern in the East African region with truck
drivers identified as high-risk individuals. Uganda has been particularly vocal
about this problem with the government coming under pressure to take action to
stop importation of the virus.
Museveni, during a previous
address, said that he was aware of much Ugandans were hostile to the policy of
allowing the truck drivers to continue to enter and leave Uganda as the number
of COVID-19 cases from truck drivers continued to rise.
He however, said that blocking
the movement of cargo drivers into and out of Uganda would be “suicidal and
more self-hurting” as Uganda needed that cargo for its survival and prosperity.
Kenyans and Tanzanians form the
majority of truck drivers who have tested positive for COVID-19 while
attempting to enter Uganda.
Uganda had also threatened to
have trucks from outside sanitized at the border point and then handed over to
a Ugandan driver who would take the vehicle to the final destination if in
Uganda or the next border point. However, a group of Kenyan truck owners
protested against the regulations and petitioned the Ugandan government to take
a softer stance.
In response to this, Kenya announced strict measures to have truck drivers regularly tested while Tanzania has so far not made any public announcement.
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