CAA Issues New Tough Covid-19 Guidelines Ahead Of Airport Reopening On October 1

The Civil Aviation Authority has released a series of Standard Operating Procedures to be followed as Entebbe International Airport reopens to passengers after being closed for more than six months.

According to the SOPs, all the departing passengers will be required to present authentic and valid Covid-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction(PCR)   test certificates issued 120 hours before travel.

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“Passengers and airport users will be subjected to temperature screening on entry to the airport and departure hall,” the notice reads.

“In special circumstances where passengers are not required to present negative Covid-19 PCR test certificate in the country of destination. Such passengers should ensure they get clearance from the destination country so as to be allowed to board.”

According to the Standard Operating Procedures, passengers will be expected to wear face masks but also maintain 1.5 metres apart from each other within the terminal.

Read Also: Museveni Finally Reopens Airport & Churches To Officially Resume On 1st October

The Civil Aviation Authority says that only passengers and airport users with official business in the terminal will be allowed access to the airport.

“Passengers are advised to arrive at the airport at four hours before the scheduled flight.”

For arriving passengers are expected to have authentic negative PCR covid-19 results from an accredited laboratory in the country of origin issued 72 hours before boarding the aircraft to Uganda.

“Airlines shall not board any passenger coming to Uganda without a negative Covid-19 PCR test and an arriving passenger without the negative PCR Covid-19 test shall be denied entry and the airline shall be obliged to take back the passenger,” CAA said

”In special circumstances where passengers are not required to  present negative Covid-19 PCR test certificate in the country of destination, such passengers should ensure that they have clearance from the destination country so as to be allowed to board”.

”All airport users are advised to sanitize after touching surfaces or documents”.

However, Civil Aviation Authority added that  airlines shall not board any passenger coming to Uganda without a negative Covid-19PCR test, an arriving passenger with out  the negative Covid -19 PCR test shall be denied entry and the airline shall be obliged to take back the passenger.

In the unlikely event a returning Ugandan arrives without a negative PCR Covid-19 result, they will be allowed into the country but shall have the test done at their cost of $65 approximately shs240000 and quarantined at their own cost until the results are out.

” A passenger who exhibits signs and symptoms of an infectious disease shall be transported in an ambulance to an isolation center( Entebbe Referral Hospital) for Covid-19 Test, the results shall be returned with 24-48 hours as the passenger remains in the isolation center.

In March, President Museveni ordered the closure of Entebbe Airport together with other entry and exit points into and out of the country as one of the measures to combat the spread of Coronavirus.

However, earlier this month, Museveni directed that the airport and the country’s borders reopen on October,1.