Uganda has confirmed eight new cases of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19), bringing the total to nine.
Speaking to journalists in Kampala on Monday night, Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng urged Ugandans to stay calm and maintain hygiene after confirming the new cases.
“All the eight cases are Ugandan nationals who travelled back from Dubai, UAE; two on March 20 and six on March 22, 2020 aboard the Emirates and Ethiopian Airlines flights. This brings the total number of Covid-19 confirmed cases in the country to nine,” Dr Aceng said.
All those who tested positive had fever upon screening.
As of Monday, at least 2,661 travellers, including Ugandans, had been identified as potential risks and put either under self-quarantine or institutional quarantine, according to the minister.
“Of these, 1,356 are under follow up, 774 of these are under institutional quarantine while 582 are under self-quarantine,” she added.
According to her, a total of 1,305 high risk travellers have completed their 14 days of follow-up.
The first confirmed case is said to be stable at Entebbe Grade B Hospital.
“We have adequate testing kits. We have all the information about the passengers who travelled to Dubai. We have the manifest and all the necessary information,” the minister said.
Dubai was earlier not reported as a high risk country according to the international situation report.
“But from the statistics, we now call upon all those who travelled from Dubai in the last two weeks to call our health desk and be tested for their own safety and the safety of all other Ugandans,” Ms Aceng said.
Meanwhile, Dubai is closing its famous malls and halting all passenger flights, capping a series of shutdowns on once-thriving sectors that serve as its economic lifeline but which have been sacrificed to control coronavirus.
A few days after barring foreigners, including those with residency permits, from entering the country, the emirate said it would close its airports to commercial flights, shut shopping centres and restrict restaurants to home deliveries.
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