Covid-19: Panic as four truck drivers intercepted at Pakwach
The four Tanzanian drivers being interrogated by the CLO Arua Micah, District Health Inspector Manase and IDI officials at Arua police grounds. URN PHOTO
What you need to know:
Uganda has registered 74 COVID-19 cases, according to the Health Ministry. Eleven of the new cases are all truck drivers, six of them from Tanzanians while the rest are Kenyans.
Meanwhile, police in Arua on Thursday intercepted four Tanzanians travelling in four private vehicles.
There was panic in Pakwach on Friday after four truck drivers said to have tested positive were intercepted at Pakwach checkpoint.
Some residents said given Pakwach’s poor health facilities, it would expose them to the virus. Pakwach is the gateway to West Nile districts that border DR Congo and South Sudan.
The District Covid-9 Taskforce committee member, Mr Steen Omito, also the LC5 Chairman, said: “We got them from Revenue checkpoint before interacting with them. We lack capacity to handle such cases but they will probably be picked and managed in Arua. We have already quarantined seven contacts at Pakwach UCC.”
The truck drivers were destined for DR Congo. According to the taskforce committee, seven other contacts with the drivers are being followed up.
The Spokesperson for Ministry of Health, Mr Emmanuel Ainebyoona, told Daily Monitor that he could not confirm if the four are those who tested positive before ascertaining their details.
“I cannot corroborate the details per now because I need to get their names first then such confirmation can be made if they are part of those we tested yesterday and found positive. But you (press) can wait for further details,” he said on phone.
The district authorities of Pakwach and Nebbi are still undecided on whether the cases could be managed in Pakwach. They expressed fears that they are still not equipped to manage the cases.
The District Health Officer for Nebbi, Dr Jakor Oryema said the health workers are ill-equipped with no protective gear though an isolation center was set up at Nebbi Town Secondary school.
“At the moment, our hospital has only one ambulance that is overwhelmed by referrals. Although we have set the case management committee, the health workers do not have adequate protective gear,” he said.
At the Isolation center at Nebbi town secondary school, the beds have been set up waiting for any cases.
In Arua, where the cases are likely to be transferred, they will be isolated at the Mental Unit at Arua Regional Referral hospital.
