Three foreign trans-boundary cargo vehicle drivers, including two Kenyans and a Tanzanian, have tested positive to coronavirus, according to Uganda’s Ministry of Health.
This is within a period of one week. Hundreds of cargo vehicles come into Uganda, others transiting through daily.
This has created apprehension among Ugandans, calling on authorities to keep the drivers and turnmen at border points until their status has been ascertained.
During Sunday address to the nation, President Museveni said this arrangement will be maintained.
The President said keeping them at the border poses a health risk, is expensive to their bosses and derails business, which ends up hurting the economy.
Mr Museveni instead advised Ugandans to avoid coming into unnecessary contact with them and asked security to ensure the drivers do not mingle with the public on their routes until their statuses have been ascertained.
By Tuesday, five sex workers had been taken into quarantine in Soroti after coming into contact with a Kenyan truck driver who tested positive for Coronavirus on Sunday.
This came after the driver tested positive and authorities in Soroti started the search for the drivers’ contacts begun until five sex workers were identified and quarantined creating more fear among members of the public, especially those living along the highways and towns where truck drivers frequently stop.
While announcing the extension of the lockdown by three more weeks, President Museveni said government would now focus on testing truck drivers among other groups of people allowed to enter the country amid the lockdown.
The Health Minister, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng had earlier defended the decision to let the drivers proceed with their journeys after being tested.
“They are transporting critical supplies that could save many lives during the lockdown, both locally and regionally,”Aceng said.
The Trade Minister, Amelia Kyambadde said the truck drivers will always be monitored and controlled from the time they are tested at the border until they exit the country.
“Once the driver gets into truck after being checked at the border entry point, there are designated points they are supposed to stop,” Amelia said.
World Health Organisation international health regulations ask that every case is counted and treated in the country it was tested and confirmed and this means all the drivers truck drivers including the Kenyans and Tanzanian who had been returned to their home countries are counted in Uganda and this has seen the number jump to 61.
