Repatriation of Ugandans resumes next week

HEALTH   COVID-19

KAMPALA - Government is set to resume the repatriation of Ugandans stuck abroad as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. 

Foreign affairs state minister Okello Oryem said the exercise will resume on Monday next week. 

Government had suspended the exercise when the gazetted quarantine centres, particularly public centres, got full. 

The public quarantine centres include Mulago Paramedical School, Entebbe Lands and Survey, Entebbe Fisheries and Makerere University Kabanyolo Agricultural Research Institute. 

"We could only allow numbers we could quarantine at a given time. So, when our facilities got full and the personnel were fully occupied, we could not stretch beyond that," Oryem said. 

He said by Friday this week, some of the people in quarantine will be cleared to leave the premises, thus creating room for others.

He, however, said the Government will not take responsibility for those who do not have return tickets, urging them to cater for themselves. 

Dr Richard Mugahi, the head of COVID-19 quarantine response at the health ministry, said Uganda has repatriated a total of 1,295 citizens from various countries, since the exercise began on June 23. 

A total of 22 people who returned tested positive for COVID-19. These included 20 Ugandans from Afghanistan and two from South Africa. 

A total of 200 people who were under quarantine have been cleared and, if the status quo remains (no positives), Mugahi said they will discharge 70% of the people who are nearing completion of their 14-day mandatory quarantine.

After the global outbreak of COVID-19, travel restriction measures left a number of Ugandans stuck abroad. However, the Government later took a decision to evacuate Ugandans from some hard-hit countries in a phased manner.