The UK has added Uganda on the list of countries whose nationals will not be permitted to travel to Britain due to the surging COVID-19 cases in the country.

A statement from UK’s Foreign Affairs office to the Uganda Foreign Affairs ministry on (June 24), the UK said only British and Irish nationals, as well as third-country nationals with residence rights in the UK, will be permitted to travel there from Uganda.

“British and Irish nationals, as well as third-country nationals with residence rights in the UK, who have departed from or transited Uganda within the 10 days prior to their arrival in the UK, will be required to quarantine for 10 days in a government-approved managed quarantine facility,” the statement said.

The UK Foreign Affairs ministry said this was part of the revised border measures for travelers entering Britain from Uganda.

The review of the measures followed the latest scientific evidence pertaining to the risk of community transmission of COVID-19 variants, and the decision to add Uganda to the red list of border measures was taken by UK Ministers yesterday (June 24), according to the statement.

Ironically, one of the variants that have caused a rise in the COVID-19 deaths and cases in Uganda originates from the UK. Others come from India, South Africa, and Nigeria.

According to the UK, it will continue to be mandatory for all passengers arriving in the UK to take a test on days two and eight of the 10-day quarantine period.

COVID-19 situation

A total of 859 new COVID-19 cases were reported on June 23, bringing the cumulative confirmed number of cases to 74, 260.

The health ministry said the new cases followed tests done on June 21, adding that there are 1,127 active cases in hospitals, while 50,085 people have recovered from the virus.

“As of today, 38 people have died bringing the total number of deaths to 752 people who have succumbed to the virus ever since it broke out in the country in March last year,” according to data from the health ministry.

A total of 834,271 people have been vaccinated against COVID-19 so far. According to President Yoweri Museveni, Uganda needs to vaccinate at least 4.8 million people before COVID-19 measures can be relaxed.