Health Ministry Restricts COVID-19 Contacts from Traveling

The Ministry of Health has said that all COVID-19 alerts and contacts will not be allowed to travel out of the country until they undergo a mandatory 14 day isolation period.

According to the ministry, the new regulations are being put in place to avoid Ugandans from exporting cases to other unsuspecting countries. This will apply to all people who have come into contact with a positive case, whether they test negative immediately.

Dr Joyce Moriku Kaducu, the Minister of State in-charge Primary Health Care, says while the country has not been implementing this rule, it’s an international standard.

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 The new regulation comes hours after the health ministry revised the time that COVID-19 tests should be carried out before travel. Previously, persons intending to travel had to be tested 72 hours before departure. However, it has been changed to five days.

The Ministry also announced that 120 students have so far tested positive for COVID-19. The cases have been registered from Bishop Cyprian Kihangire, Masaka College of Health Sciences, Vine Paramedical School in Masaka and Kabale School of Nursing and midwifery.

Dr Kaducu says that they are still investigating how the students got infected.

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According to Kaducu, schools should refer to covid-19 cases to health facilities for management as learning continues under close surveillance.

In September President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni ordered for the commencement of learning for candidates in Primary seven, senior four, senior six and finalists in tertiary institutions and universities. The learners reported to their respective schools on October 15.

The schools are supposed to observe the standard operating procedures to protect the learners from contracting COVID-19 while at school. The SOPs include wearing a mask during lessons, putting in place several hand washing stations preferably at the entrance of every classroom and points of entry and having temperature guns to enable them to screen learners and teachers.

Currently, Uganda has registered 18,165 Covid-19 cases.