The Incident Commander for Corona Virus Uganda Atek Kagirita, says they have intensified border screening and surveillance following reports that there are more persons opting to cross into the country through border points.
Uganda shares land border crossings with Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Sudan, and the DRC. Direct bus services connect the major cities in each country (with the exception of DRC).
The busiest border crossing is at Busia on the direct route to Nairobi through Kisumu.
So far Three neighboring countries have confirmed cases of coronavirus with the DRC reporting one imported case, Rwanda 1 and Kenya confirming 3 cases.
Kagirita notes that they have informed and alerted all border towns to organize teams at all border points in order to carry out mandatory screening for all people passing through.
He also advised the public to stay vigilant and report anyone especially those that have recently traveled with flu-like symptoms as a preventative measure which is crucial for the country.
Kagiritaexplains that the cost of managing Coronavirus is so high as compared to preventing which is the best option now for Uganda.
Meanwhile, neighboring Kenya has banned the entry of travelers from any virus-hit country and has also announced to close schools nationwide on Sunday after two fresh cases of coronavirus were confirmed, taking the tally to three in the country.
Kenya confirmed its first case on Friday. The patient is a woman who recently traveled to the U.S. via London.
The global death toll from the virus has surpassed 5,700, with more than 152,000 cases confirmed worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.
Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.
Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, the infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure, and even death.
However, the vast majority of those who get infected recover from the illness.
