For almost a month now, border points have posed the highest threat to Uganda’s fight against COVID-19 pandemic. A series of solutions have been directed to tame the spread of coronavirus by truck drivers but it still seemed risky as violations were sighted.
However, these Cross-border cargo truck drivers will now be able to leave border entry points with their coronavirus test results, Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) in Entebbe has said.
Prof Pontiano Kaleebu, the director UVRI, says they are planning to start using the GeneXpert diagnostic testing machines which are able to release coronavirus results within an hour.
“The tests released using a GeneXpert machine take around 45 minutes to an hour. This means drivers will get their results before they leave border posts,” said Prof Kaleebu.
The GeneXpert machine is known for testing Tuberculosis but recently World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended that it can also be used to test for COVID-19.
The total number of confirmed cases in the country now stands at 122, and nearly all the new coronavirus cases for the past 2-3 weeks are coming from cargo truck drivers – 62 of the 122 total cases (10 Ugandan drivers and 52 foreign drivers).
