Covid-19 Community Transmission Cases Surge Through 450

Uganda is increasingly seeing a rise in COVID-19 community transmission cases with now over 450 registered so far.

Currently, Uganda is in COVID-19 stage 3 meaning that the country is having clusters of transmission in the communities.

As of 2nd August 2020, the capital Kampala which is heavily populated has recorded up to 43 cases while the hot spots of Tororo and Amuru districts have recorded up to 53 and 111 cases respectively.

Community transmission according to the Ministry of Health is when one contracts COVID-19 from within their surroundings.

Among the 13 new COVID-19 cases confirmed by the Ministry of Health on Monday from tests done on Sunday, 5 are contacts while 2 are alerts to previously confirmed cases.

“13 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed from samples tested on 2nd August 2020. Out of the 13 confirmed cases, 4 are truck drivers, 5 are contacts to previously confirmed cases, 2 are returnees while 2 alerts from Buikwe and Kampala metropolitan area succumbed to the disease,” said Dr Henry Mwebesa, the Director General Health Services in the Ministry of Health.

Regarding 4 truck drivers, 2 arrived from DRC via Bunagana point of entry while 2 arrived from Kenya via Malaba border point.

2 returnees who tested positive for COVID-19 were from USA and were under quarantine at the time of test.

5 contacts to previously confirmed cases include 3 from Kampala metropolitan area while 2 are from Gulu district and were also under quarantine at the time of test.

18 foreign truck drivers (11 Kenyans, 5 Tanzanians and 2 Congolese) tested positive for COVID-19 and were denied entry into Uganda as per the presidential directive that only COVID-19 negative foreign truck drivers be allowed to enter into the country.

The Ministry of Health has on many occasions warned Ugandans that the country could enter stage 4 of COVID-19, that is, full blown  community transmission largely due to complacency of Ugandans in observing COVID-19 prevention guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health.

A total of 2,485 samples were tested for COVID-19 on 2nd August 2020, of which 1,690 were from points of entry while 795 were from contacts and alerts to previously confirmed cases.

Ever since Uganda began testing for COVID-19, a total of 280,747 samples have so far been tested.

Currently, Uganda has a cumulative total of 1,195 COVID-19 confirmed cases and 5 deaths.