Prime
Covid-19: Uganda removed from UK red list
The departure lounge at Entebbe Internatioal Airport. PHOTO | EVE MUGANGA
What you need to know:
- Uganda was red-listed on June 30, at a time the country was battling with the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. At the time, the country was undergoing a 42-day lockdown, as one of the measures taken by the government to keep coronavirus at bay.
The United Kingdom has removed Uganda from the list of countries that pose a threat of spreading Covid-19 through travel. This means that Ugandans and people travelling from Uganda will no longer need to spend 11 nights in hotel quarantine upon arriving in the United Kingdom.
Uganda was red-listed on June 30, at a time the country was battling with the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. At the time, the country was undergoing a 42-day lockdown, as one of the measures taken by the government to keep coronavirus at bay.
Other countries on the same list included; Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Zambia, Malawi, South Africa, Mozambique, Malawi, and Tunisia, among others. But, the list will now have only seven countries after the removal of 47 which have recorded a reduction in Covid-19 infections and improved vaccination. The seven are; Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Panama, Peru and Venezuela.
"The continued progress on vaccination both at home and around the world means the government can confidently reduce the size of the red list to focus on countries which pose the highest risk, informed by UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) assessment," the government said in a statement posted by the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
The British government says that the move, which comes into effect at 4am on Monday, is a “major step forward,” for the UK travel industry and travellers, which will make it easier for more people to travel abroad to a larger number of countries and territories.
"We’re now making it easier and cheaper for people to travel by allowing fully vaccinated travellers from non-red list countries to use lateral flow tests on day two of arrival, as long as they provide proof of use," Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said in a statement.
Other passengers who are not fully vaccinated with an authorised vaccine returning from a non-red destination must still take a pre-departure test, a day two and day eight test, and complete 10 days of self-isolation.
The UK also announced that it would recognise vaccines for arrivals from a further 37 countries and territories including, Kenya, Brazil, Egypt, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa and Turkey. This means that eligible travellers vaccinated in the new countries and territories will also be treated the same as returning fully vaccinated UK residents, so long as they have not visited a red list country or territory in the 10 days before arriving in England.
Dr Diana Atwine, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health welcomed the move, saying Uganda has since contained the spread of Covid-19. At the peak of the second wave in June, Uganda recorded over 1,000 cases daily. The new cases however reduced to below 100 cases daily since August.
She noted that the United Arab Emirates also removed Uganda from the red list last month.
"It means the two countries have seen that the government has put in place measured to control the pandemic.”
