Coronavirus: Foreigners avoid Entebbe airport, enter by road, water
Medics screen travellers for COVID19 at Entebbe International Airport on March 8, 2020. COURTESY PHOTO
What you need to know:
- Government issued health guidelines for travellers from countries in category one (most hit by coronavirus) such as China, Germany, Italy, South Korea and Iran that they must spend 14 days in self-quarantine upon arrival in Uganda.
- Coronavirus has left more than 150,000 people infected worldwide and over 5,800 dead. The virus incubates in 14 days and it is after two or seven days that an infected person develops symptoms.
Police have ordered their units at all borders to intensify operations after information that travellers from European and Asia countries with cases of coronavirus are entering Uganda by road and water transport to avoid rigorous checks at Entebbe airport.
“Following the outbreak of coronavirus, it has come to our attention that many travellers from Europe, Asia and other countries aren’t flying to Entebbe direct but prefer to use the neighbouring countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan and DR Congo. Thereafter they connect to Uganda by road or water,” Mr Asuman Mugenyi, the director of police operations, stated in a police message sent to all units on Friday.
Uganda’s neighbours Kenya, DR Congo and Rwanda recorded patients with Coronavirus and have put a dozen people under institutional isolation as a prevention measure.
Mr Mugenyi instructed district security committees at border areas to ensure any person from countries with coronavirus cases is handed over to health officials.
“This is to instruct you to liaise with the district security committee to set up health monitoring teams to all border points with the assistance of the district medical committees,” he said.
Mr Mugenyi also ordered the district police commanders to work with local councils at the border areas to report travellers who avoid gazetted entry points.
“Treat as urgent and acknowledge receipt,” he said.
Last week, the Minister of Health, Dr Ruth Aceng, said they had established health monitoring teams at gazetted border points to detect people who have signs and symptoms of coronavirus.
Dr Aceng, however, said their concern was travellers who come into the country using undesignated entry points.
Guidelines
Government issued health guidelines for travellers from countries in category one (most hit by coronavirus) such as China, Germany, Italy, South Korea and Iran that they must spend 14 days in self-quarantine upon arrival in Uganda.
Coronavirus has left more than 150,000 people infected worldwide and over 5,800 dead. The virus incubates in 14 days and it is after two or seven days that an infected person develops symptoms.
