COVID-19 Crisis: Uganda Confirms 15 New Cases on Friday

The Ministry of Health has confirmed 15 new COVID-19 cases in Uganda, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 175.

“12 new cases are truck drivers while 3 are contacts of previously confirmed truck drivers,” the Health Ministry announced on Saturday morning.

All contacts were under quarantine at the time of test.

Meanwhile, 23 positive truck drivers who tested positive for COVID-19 were handed to their country of origin.

A total of 1,248 samples from points of entry were tested for COVID-19 on Friday.

858 samples from the community and contacts were also tested for COVID-19 on Friday.

A total of 2106 samples were tested for COVID-19 on Friday.

Currently, Uganda has a total number of 68 COVID-19 recoveries and no fatalities.

Uganda will on June 2 open up public transport and other sectors of the economy to allow people go to work.

Ugandans will be required to wear masks whenever in public to prevent further spread of COVID-19.

Regional crisis
Kenya and Tanzania have since turned into epicenters of COVID-19.

On May 8, Tanzania’s Ministry of Health announced that the government had suspended reporting Covid19 figures because of work currently taking place at the National Health Laboratories.

Once the improvements are completed, official reporting will resume.

The last official report indicated 480 confirmed cases in the country.

However, the semi-autonomous region of Zanzibar recently announced 29 new cases and 5 additional deaths.

Kenya’s cases stand at 1,161 and 50 deaths.

Efforts to create a joint team of medical personnel to test and issue certificates to drivers from points of origin are yet to bear fruit after meeting stiff resistance from Tanzania.