COVID-19: 11 Kenyan, Tanzania Truck Drivers Test Positive in Uganda

The Ministry of Health has confirmed 11 new COVID 19 cases from 1,020 samples taken from truck drivers at border points bringing the total number of confirmed infections to 74.

According to the statement issued on Thursday night by the Director General Health Services in the Ministry of Health Dr Henry Mwebesa, the confirmed cases include 6 Tanzanian truck drivers who arrived at Mutukula border post and 5 Kenyan truck drivers.

Out of the 5 Kenyan truck drivers, 3 arrived via Malaba while 2 arrived via Busia borders.

The confirmed cases did not present with signs and symptoms of COVID 19.

“None of the cases registered today (Thursday) had signs and symptoms consistent to COVID 19,” said Dr Mwebesa in a statement.

All the 311 samples taken from the community and quarantine centers have tested negative for COVID 19.

A total of 1331 samples were tested for COVID 19 at Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI).

Due to the increasing number of foreign truck drivers testing positive for COVID 19 in Uganda, the Minister of Internal Affairs Gen Jeje Odongo on Thursday said Government is considering relay driving to stop foreign truck drivers from entering the country.

Jeje said the truck drivers will have to drive up to the border and then hand the vehicles over to their Ugandan counterparts who will drive the vehicle to it’s final destination.

The Minister also said government was considering rapid testing at the borders of entry.

The testing, he said, will enable truck drivers and crews onboard get their results in 10 minutes unlike 24 hours that results take to be checked at Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI).

Odong said this would be a very expensive exercise as each test costs $65.

On average, 1000 trucks enter Uganda on a daily basis.

According to the directive issued by President Museveni, there must be a maximum of 3 people in the truck, meaning 3000 people enter Uganda with trucks everyday.

The total daily cost of testing 3,000 people would be $195,000.

“This cost might be prohibitive,” said Minister Jeje Odongo.

Kenya and Tanzania are slowly turning into epicenters of Coronavirus in East Africa with both countries recording 320 cases and 284 respectively as of Thursday night.

Uganda has registered 46 COVID-19 recoveries so far.