The federal government has revealed that as much as 697 instances of Covid-19 infections have been detected amongst travellers getting into via Entebbe Worldwide Airport.
The Ministry of Well being officers instructed MPs yesterday that the travellers are presenting the delta variant, which is extremely transmissible and is related to extreme illness and a excessive dying price.
Dr Richard Mugahi, the assistant commissioner for well being providers on the ministry, stated the assessments have been accomplished between Could 10 and August 30 on 18,907 samples from travellers.
The federal government is presently testing about 10 per cent of travellers arriving in via the airport, that means the precise variety of contaminated travellers getting into the nation might be increased.
“The primary contributor of optimistic instances is Kenya which has 186 instances, representing 46 per cent. Everyone knows that Kenya is nearly on the peak of the fourth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic,” Dr Mugahi stated.
He added: “Different instances have been from the United Arab Emirates with 148 instances, adopted by South Sudan, Tanzania and South Africa. Fifty-four of those instances have been amongst vacationers.”
Dr Mugahi stated these examined included 7,500 Ugandans who have been getting back from these nations and that the remainder have been international travellers.
For the reason that outbreak of the pandemic, the virus has killed 3,053 individuals and contaminated 120,662 individuals.
Dr Mugahi stated samples with excessive viral load have been despatched to Uganda Virus Analysis Institute for genomic sequencing, and so they discovered that delta variant was dominant within the samples.
He made the remarks whereas MPs have been touring the non-public amenities that the federal government has contracted to offer Covid-19 testing for worldwide travellers.
The power is at Penial Seaside Lodge in Entebbe and 6 laboratories are testing travellers. The labs embrace Check and Fly, Case Hospital, Medipal, Safari Lab, Similar Day Lab and Metropolis Medical lab.
The MPs beneath Parliamentary Well being Committee have been assessingthe preparedness of the amenities to deal with obligatory testing for all travellers arriving within the nation.
The testing, which was supposed to begin on September 3, was postponed for 2 weeks by an inter-ministerial group over capability and value points, amongst others.
Dr Charles Ayume, the top of Parliamentary Well being Committee, stated though obligatory testing must be carried out urgently, crucial gaps exist within the testing association.
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“There have been loads of public concern …concerning whether or not those that are immunised and examined within the final 72 hours must be subjected to [another] take a look at [upon] arrival. Sure, science has proven that even in case you are vaccinated, you possibly can nonetheless be a transmitter of those new variants just like the delta,” he stated.
“As a committee, we will help the place of the Ministry of Well being [of mandatory testing] to make sure that all passengers are examined,” he added.
Nevertheless, Mr Isaac Otim, the MP for Padiere County, stated authorities should reduce the price of testing and tackle loopholes buyer care on the amenities to provide travellers a optimistic expertise.
“All of the six laboratories have put in the tools for testing and this may scale back the turnaround time from 4 hours to 2 hours. The shopper care shouldn’t be good. On the entrance, individuals are paying $65 (about Shs228,000) however you might be acquired by an LDU (Native Defence Unit) [personnel],” he stated.
“There have to be a manner of bringing down the associated fee from $65 to $40. In case you go to different borders like Elegu, the costs are round Shs140,000 and they’re additionally receiving and dealing with loads of visitors,” Mr Otim added.
Dr Mugahi stated they may maintain extra discussions to deal with the problem of value.
Dr Ayume stated assessments should proceed to guard public well being.
