Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Sunday the reopening of the country’s international airport and land borders and resumption of operations for tourists after a more than six-month closure as part of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 reported Anadolu Agency.
During his 20th address to the nation on government measures to contain the virus’s spread in the country, Museveni said any passengers arriving in Uganda must need to possess a negative COVID-19 polymerize chain reaction (PCR) test result from an accredited laboratory in the country of origin.
The test should have been conducted within the last 72 hours before the scheduled departure. Those Ugandans returning back to the country with negative PCR results will be allowed to go home instead of being quarantined for 14 days as previously, and the Health Ministry will only get their addresses for follow up.
“The international airport and land borders will now be opened for tourists, coming in and going out, provided they tested negative 72 hours before arrival in Uganda,” the Ugandan president said in a televised address.
He added that measures will be taken to ensure that tourists and returning Ugandans will not be mixed.
“Tourists will be driven straight from the airport to their destinations or to designated transit hotels,” said Museveni.
The Ugandan president announced that restrictions on border districts had been removed but the night curfew between 9 pm and 6 am remains.
He also announced that places of worship will be allowed to open, especially for confessions and counseling, and that sports activities will be allowed to resume “provided there are no spectators at the stadia”. Schools are also allowed to partially open for candidate classes next month.
On Sunday, Uganda’s Ministry of Health reported 270 new confirmed coronavirus cases raising the national total to 6,287. The death toll remained at 63 while the number of recoveries rose to 2,616.
