Govt issues new rules  on Covid-19 certificates

Travellers with their luggage wait to take flights at Entebbe International Airport on October 1. Government has indicated that all persons intending to travel out of the country must have the word ‘travel’ on their Covid-19 certificates. PHOTO/ ABUBAKER LUBOWA

What you need to know:

Easing air transport

  •      Ugandan companies started early this month to source external employment for migrant labour abroad as they resumed business after the government announced the relaxation of Covid-19 travel restrictions.
  •     However, the latest guidelines on Covid testing will have an impact on travelling. 

All Covid-19 certificates of persons intending to travel out of the country must have the word ‘travel’ as the purpose of the test.
Dr Henry Mwebesa, the director general of health services at the Ministry of Health, yesterday said some travellers have been going to government testing centres claiming that they are contacts to previously confirmed cases to access free test despite their actual purpose of the test being travel. 

“All tests for contacts and alerts will henceforth be labelled accordingly on their certificates. It is further important to note that contacts and alerts cannot be allowed to fly even if they are negative for Covid-19,” Dr Mwebesa said.
Dr Mwebesa further added that all travellers will be required to have a Covid-19 negative certificate taken within 120 hours before departure and not with 72 hours as it has been.

According to the Ministry of Health, 120 hours begin on the day the sample is collected for testing.
About two months ago, government announced that the cost of voluntary Covid-19 testing will be met by the respective individuals and companies.
Currently, Uganda is in stage four of the pandemic with widespread community spread. As of Sunday,  Uganda had registered atleast 17,968 coronavirus cases with 8,611 recoveries and 172 deaths. Globally, more than 59 million coronavirus cases have been registered with1,394,511 deaths and 40,797,173 recoveries.

Meanwhile, Lancet laboratory has been removed from the list of accredited laboratories to carry out Covid-19 testing after it changed location.
According to Ministry of Health, there will be need to first complete assessment of the new place where the laboratory shifted to before it is accredited again.

In September, operations at Lancet Laboratories on Madhvani Building on Buganda Road were brought to a standstill after their premises were locked, denying staff entry.
It was reported that the landlord had raised issues of the safety of housing a Covid-19 testing centre arguing that some occupants of the same building were uncomfortable with it.