Five MV Kalangala crew members test negative for Covid-19
MV Kalangala where the five crew members have been isolated since May 23, 2020. Photo by Eve Muganga
Operators of MV Kalangala can now breathe a sigh of relief after five of their colleagues tested negative for Covid-19.
The five staff crew members returned to the country last Saturday from Mwanza, Tanzania where they had taken the vessel for periodic mandatory docking inspection.
Dr Andrew Menya, the officer in-charge of Covid-19 ward at Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital said although the crew members are negative they have to be tested again as they complete the mandatory 14 days under quarantine.
“Two out of them are going to be monitored from their homes, while the other three are still on the vessel because the space at their homes cannot enable them undergo self -isolation,” he said in a telephone interview on Wednesday.
Dr Menya said the crew members will be issued certificates upon completion of the mandatory quarantine.
“When we conduct the second round of tests and find them negative, we shall give them certificates indicating that they are free from the virus and can go out in the community,” he added.
Mr Sadala Musoke, the executive director, Nation Oil Distributors Ltd, a firm that manages the vessel said when they will resume normal operations after lifting of the lockdown. He said they will be carrying few passengers to observe rules of social distancing.
“The vessel carries a total of 100 people, but this time, we may take around 70 and some light cars. This, however, does not mean that we have raised the fares, they will remain the same,” he said.
MV Kalangala suspended operations on February 9 before it was taken for periodic mandatory docking inspection. This was supposed to be done at Port Bell, Luzira dry docking site in Kampala but the site was still occupied by another vessel, MV Kaawa, prompting government to take it to Mwanza on April 5.
Currently, anyone traveling to Kalangala has to use the two ferries from Bukakkata landing site in Masaka to Bugoma Landing site in Kalangala, a journey considered to be longer and expensive.
