Uganda halts mandatory Covid-19 testing at all border points

Uganda has halted mandatory Covid-19 testing on all its border points following a decline in reported Covid-19 cases for the past few months

This was confirmed by the ministry of health saying travelers will no longer need to test at border points as long as they are fully vaccinated.

The government has also ordered private laboratories conducting the tests at various points of entry to vacate the premises.

According to the director-general of Health Services at the Ministry of Health, Dr Henry Mwebesa district health officers in border districts like Busia, Tororo, Kasese, Kabale, and Ntungamo have been directed to halt operations of border point Covid-19 testing.

“Covid-19 results are currently not required for fully vaccinated travelers, including truck drivers, to cross the land border of entry. This is, therefore, to request all private labs to exit border points of entry premises immediately as it is no longer necessary to conduct any Covid-19 tests at the border points,” Dr. Mwebesa said

Mwebesa noted that this has been done to ensure that Kampala complies with the East African Community Council of Minister’s directive for the meeting held in January, in which it was agreed to ease inter-country pandemic restrictions to fast-track regional economic recovery.

However, Mwebesa said that a top management meeting between the ministry and its partners had resolved that a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours remains a requirement for all passengers at the Entebbe International Airport.

Uganda, which instituted one of the world’s toughest Covid-19 restrictions, has been gradually opening up since January, ending a two-year ban on schools and night-time business activities.

Uganda has currently registered a gradual decline in new coronavirus cases from community transmissions and imported ones.

Authorities have also stepped up vaccination with mass drives, especially in rural areas, although there has been a countrywide low vaccine uptake.

Up to date, Uganda has recorded a cumulative number of 163,892 cases since the pandemic outbreak and a total of 18 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered.