Uganda: COVID-19 Cases Rise to 88 as Ugandan; Burundian and Kenyan Truck Drivers, Test Positive

At least 3 new COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Uganda on Saturday, Chimp Corps report.

Director General Health Services Dr Henry Mwebesa said two of the cases, a Kenyan and Burundian, were out of 1,922 samples of truck drivers taken on Saturday.

The two truck drivers arrived in Uganda via Malaba border post.

He said “efforts to track them are underway.”

The third case is a Uganda who tested positive for Coronavirus out of 562 samples from the community.

Dr Mwebesa said he is a 22-year-old Ugandan male from Rakai District who arrived in Uganda from Burundi.

The Ugandan national arrived via a porous border and has been staying with his parents. Mwebesa said efforts to evacuate him to Masaka Regional Referral Hospital and quarantine his parents were underway.

This brings the total confirmed cases now stand at 88 in Uganda.

Uganda has not registered any COVID-19 related death, to date.

Health Minister Dr Ruth Aceng recently said the rapid assessment exercise being carried out across the country would establish the prevalence of COVID-19 among communities in Uganda and that “results from this survey will inform the phased lifting of the lockdown.”

She further said the survey would “evaluate if there is community transmission of COVID-19 in Uganda and establish the extent of community transmission, if confirmed.”

The rapid assessment exercise on Friday identified a new COVID-19 case in Masindi, raising fears of possible unknown transmissions in rural communities in Uganda.