21 cross-border cargo truck drivers tested positive for COVID-19 in Uganda Thursday taking the countrywide total of COVID-19 infections to 160, the health ministry said in a statement.
Out of the 1593 samples collected from truck drivers, 21 tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the statement added
The new cases include Ugandans and Kenyans, Tanzanians and South Sudan who arrived in the country from Tanzania, South Sudan and Kenya via Mutukula, Busia, Elegu and Malaba checkpoints
“All 303 community samples have tested negative for COVID-19,” the statement added.
A total of 1,896 samples have been analyzed on Wednesday.
The minister of Health Jane Ruth Aceng has said the rapid assessment survey has revealed that there is no community transmission of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Uganda.
Addressing the nation today about the COVID-19 status, Aceng said out of 14,061 participants of the targeted 23,000 samples, only four sporadic cases tested positive including; two police officers, a Ugandan student returnee from Bukoba in Tanzania and a truck driver in Rakai. Aceng says this translates to just 0.03% community transmission
Aceng said the ministry had noted Ugandans concerns in regards to the truck drivers and that they had addressed the president accordingly.
Some countries like Zambia have closed their borders to Tanzania which has resisted World Health Organisations recommendations for total lockdown.
Aceng asked the public to wait for the president’s next address regarding truck drivers. Aceng said Uganda has proposed to the other East African countries to build an army of negative truck drivers who are always tested and quarantined within the system.
