There were about 84 passengers on the plane that transported the
36-year-old man who tested positive for coronavirus, according to the
Minister of Health, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng.
The confirmed case, who is a
resident of Kibuli, Kakungulu zone in Kampala travelled aboard
Ethiopian Airlines that arrived at Entebbe International Airport at
around 2am on March 21, 2020.
He had travelled to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates on March 17 for a business trip.
“We have all the necessary information about them (84 passengers) but my appeal to them is if you are called upon, please cooperate for easier monitoring,” Ms Aceng said on Sunday.
However, most of the 84
people that were on the plane with the victim weren’t coming from
category one countries and it wasn’t possible to quarantine everybody on
that plane, according to the ministry of Health.
“Other people were advised to self-quarantine but we will call them up for monitoring,” the PS, Ministry of Health, Dr Diana Atwine said shortly after President Museveni’s address to the nation.
Some of the countries in the category one include Italy, France, South Korea, China, USA, UK, Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Norway, Austria, Malaysia, Pakistani, and San Marino. Advertisement
The United Arab Emirates on Friday announced its first two deaths from the COVID-19 disease, having reported 153 infections so far, of which 38 people have recovered.
Not sexually transmitted
“It (COVID-19)is NOT sexually transmitted. If you avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, you can easily defeat this virus. Please wash your hands with soap and water or use an alcohol based hand rub regularly, disinfect frequently touched surfaces,” Dr Diana Atwine, PS, Ministry of Health.
Dr Atwine appealed to the hotels where people are being quarantined to be vigilant and make sure their workers are not exposed.
“Give the workers masks and protective gloves because they do not know who is well and who is not. Iron beddings,” she said.
According to her, every person that comes into the country will undergo institutional quarantine.
“It doesn’t matter if they are coming from Category one or not,” she said.
In his address, President Museveni said the confirmed case could have picked the virus from Dubai.
His family members were tested by health officials, according to the president.
“They
have told me about his people (confirmed case). They have checked them
(family members) and it seems they have no serious sicknesses. There’s a
possibility that he (confirmed case) picked the virus from Dubai,” Mr
Museveni said.
