Covid: Govt clears travellers with 72hrs negative results

The Director General of Health Services at the Ministry of Health, Dr Henry Mwebesa, has directed  border districts health officers to clear truck drivers with negative 72 hours Covid-19 tests ,  to enter the country.

“Government has agreed to clear all truck drivers and their accompanying staff, with negative Covid-19 PCR results taken in the last 72 hours. However, the tests must have been done from the attached list of approved laboratories in the East African Community,” he said.  In  a January 6 communication, a copy of which the Saturday Monitor has seen, Mr Mwebesa issued directives to  district health officers of Tororo, Busia, Amuru, Rakai, Kabale, and Kasese.

Dr Mwebesa said the decision was reached after an inter-ministerial meeting on Thursday chaired by Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja where it was agreed that clearing the drivers would solve the backlog of cargo trucks that had accumulated at the borders.  

However, travellers are still required to test at all points of entry for $25  but do not have to wait for results.
The communication lists 66 of the 77 laboratories that scored more than 80 percent in the assessment by the regional  team using the World Health Organisation assessment tool.

The Health ministry senior public relations officer, Mr Emmanuel Ainebyoona, on Friday said the directive has been the status quo at all borders for people entering the country.

“Travellers are required to present negative Covid-19 tests taken 72 hours prior to their arrival.  Upon arrival, they are tested again and continue with their journey, the results find them where they are,” he said.

Mr Ainebyoona said there have  been no delays in people’s movements as a result of waiting for Covid-19  results.

“Most of these labs are able to give them the results in the shortest time possible, there is no delay. People take tests and continue with their journey, those who  are found positive are alerted and given advice on precautions to take to avoid spreading the virus,” he said.

According to  the 21st sectoral Council of the Ministers of Health report, an assessment on laboratories was carried out by a regional team composed of experts from partner states with each country’s team made up of; two laboratory experts, one WHO expert from the country office of each partner state, representative from the Ministry of East African and community Affairs, experts from the East African secretariat and Ministry of Health ground staff who supported the assessment teams during the exercise.

Procedure for  Covid-19 testing at Entebbe international airport

In light of the global challenges occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic and the risk of importing new variants from high-risk countries, the government  is undertaking mandatory testing of all incoming passengers at Entebbe International Airport in order to reduce on the risk of further spread of the virus.

Requirements for arriving passengers 
Arriving passengers should hold a negative Covid-19 PCR test certificate issued within 72 hours from the time of sample collection to boarding aircraft leaving country of origin. 

Arrival process 
Before departure from the country of origin to Entebbe International Airport, passengers are required to fill in an online health form accessed on the link https://arrivals.healthdesk.go.ug. This will lead them to the Post Bank online platform (https:// covidpay.postbank.co.ug) which enables them to pay the fee of $30 for the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCT) Test to be conducted on arrival. 

All passengers will be required to go through the recommended port health procedure of identifying body temperature, symptoms and thereafter directed to a team of laboratory specialists to take a Covid-19 swab for testing. The arrival test only applies to those entering the country (transit passengers are exempted.

After taking their swab, passengers will be directed back to the terminal to go through the immigration process. 
From the arrival immigration counters, passengers  proceed to the conveyor belts to pick their respective luggage and then go through customs clearance processes, in case of any taxable items.  

Effective November  5, 2021, all arriving passengers at Entebbe International Airport were allowed to go home after testing so that they self-isolate until their results are out. The positives would subsequently be tracked for further management, according to the Ministry of Health Protocol on Covid-19

Payment options 
 Passengers can pay at the various Post Bank kiosks and also exchange currency and  have an option of paying for their testing fees using mobile money services, visa, credit cards or making cash payments. 

Tests for children
Children below six  years are exempted from the requirement for a negative PCR test certificate if they are accompanied by parents holding a negative Covid -19 PCR test certificate. 

Handling of passengers who test positive on arrival 
Passengers who test positive on arrival are provided psychosocial support and transferred to the gazetted public and private treatment facilities where they are managed for seven days and discharged following a negative PCR test.

The treatment is free in public hospitals. However, passengers who opt for private hospitals meet their own costs.
 In the case of arriving tourists, if they are asymptomatic or with mild disease, they are managed in the designated tourist hotels. The tourists who may progress to severe disease are transferred to hospitals of their choice. 

*Source: Uganda Civil Aviation Authority via Mr Vianne Luggya, spokesperson UCAA

Country    Facility
Burundi     Kitega Hospital
    Kayanza Hospital
    Chibitoke Hospital                      
    Institut National de Sante Publique (INSP)
Kenya     National Influenza Centre, Nairobi
    National HIV Reference Lab, Nairobi
    Nairobi Hospital         
    African Medical Research Foundation (AMREF) Medical Centre - Wilson Airport, Nairobi
    International Organization for Migration Laboratory, Nairobi
    Kenyatta University Teaching and Referral Hospital\
    Kenya Medical Research institute (KEMRI - VHF) - Nairobi
    Mahi Mahiu (Naivasha) Mobile testing point
    Namanga One Stop Mobile laboratory
    International livestock Research Institute (ILRI Lab), Nairobi
    Kenya Medical Research institute/ WALTER REED project/Kericho
    Kenya Medical Research institute (KEMRI) Laboratory for Molecular Biology, Nairobi
    Pathologists Lancet Kenya
    Kenya Medical Research institute (KEMRI/CDC) — Nairobi
    Coast General County Referral Hospital, Mombasa
    Kenya Medical Research institute (KEMRI Welcome Trust Project), Kilifi
    Malindi Sub County Hospital, Kilifi
    AMPATH Plus Laboratory, Eldoret
    Kenya Medical Research Institute, Alupe HIV Laboratory/ Busia
    Kitale AMPATH PLUS Teaching Referral Hospital
Sudan    Queen's Laboratory, Juba
    National Public Health Laboratory, Juba
    Checkups medical centre, Juba
     Med Blue Laboratory, Juba
    Crawford Laboratory, Juba
Rwanda    Gisenyi District Hospital Laboratory, Rubavu District
    Ruhengeri Referral Hospital Laboratory, Musanze District, Northern Province
     King Faysal Hospital Rwanda Lab, Kigali City, Gasabo
     National Reference Laboratory, Kigali City, Gasabo
    University Teaching Hospital Butare Laboratory (UTHBL)/CHUB
     Gihundwe District Hospital Lab
    Nyangatare District Hospital Lab
    Kigali University Hospital Laboratory (CHUK)
    Military Hospital Laboratory
    Kacyiru District Hospital Laboratory
Uganda    Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), Entebbe
    Adjumani Mobile laboratory, Adjumani
    Test and Fly, Elegu Branch
    Test and Fly, Malaba Branch
    Gulu University multi -function laboratory, Gulu
    Tororo Mobile laboratory, Tororo
    Rakai Health Science Program Laboratory, Kyotera
    Epicenter Laboratory, Mbarara
    Central Public Health Laboratory, Kampala
    Entebbe International Airport Health Laboratory
    ATCG Solutions laboratory
    Lancet laboratories 
    International Organization for Migration (IOM), Kampala  
    Mengo Hospital Laboratory
    Genomic and Molecular Biology Laboratory (MAK-CHS)
    LMK Medical Laboratory and Consultancies Ltd
    Times Lab and Diagnostic 
    MBN Clinical Laboratories 
    ANCA Biotech Laboratory
    Case Medical Centre Laboratory
    Mulago National Referral Hospital Covid-19 Laboratory
    Uganda Cancer Institute-Fred Hutch Cancer Centre Covid-19 Laboratory
Tanzania     Mount Meru regional referral hospital, Arusha
     Bugando medical centre, Mwanza
     Dodoma regional referral hospital
     Mnazi Mmoja Hospital, Zanzibar
     National Public Health Laboratory, Dar es Salaam