Owing to the increasing numbers of truck drivers testing COVID-19 positive at the borders, the East African Community states have reached an agreement to establish a joint team of healthcare workers to carry out mass testing of truck drivers before setting off from their respective countries.
This was revealed today by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of the Republic of Uganda.
Museveni was addressing the clergy, members of the cabinet and legislators during a televised National Prayers Assembly held today at the State House in Entebbe.
He stated that the joint health team would help in curtailing the transmission of corona virus by truck drivers to uninflected persons in neighbouring countries.
“There’s no longer to have people who have not tested to come to be tested at the border, they must be tested where they’re coming from,” Museveni explained.
President Museveni revealed that there is a proposal by the Kenyan President H.E Uhuru Kenyatta to have truck drivers first undergo a mandatory test in Naivasha than having them tested at the border points.
The decision follow complaints by Ugandan population against government for failure to block border movements arguing that this is increasing their risks of contracting the virus from truck drivers.
Uganda has 114 COVID-19 cases and most of these are cases of Kenyan and Tanzanian truck drivers who access the country through border points.
Apparently, the health ministry has been conducting mandatory testing at the borders for cargo truck drivers. Those who tested positive would be put under mandatory isolation while the negative ones set free to continue to their destinations.
Today’s National Prayers Day at State House was attended among other dignitaries; Former Prime Minister of Uganda Rt Hon John Patrick Amama Mbabazi and his wife Jacqueline Mbabazi, COVID-19 National Response Fund Chairman Mr Emmanuel Ainebyoona, Prime Minister Ndugu Ruhakana Ruhinda, Ministers and Members of Parliament.
The President and the First Lady Minister Janet Kataha Museveni were the chief Hosts.
The prayers were led by Archbishop Dr Cyprian Kizito Lwanga of Kampala Archdiocese. Other religious leaders in attendance included PR Robert Kayanja, Mufti Sheikh Shaban Ramadan Mubajje, Bishop David Kiganda, Archbishop Steven Kazimba Mugalu, the Archbishop of the C.O.U among others.
Archbishop KAZIMBA in his sermon, asked citizens to keep their trust in God the only one who can save the world out of this pandemic.
