The Ministry of Health would like to inform the public that Uganda has registered one COVID-19 death today. This brings the total COVID-19 deaths to five (5).
The deceased, is a 46-year-old female of Indian origin and resident of Kibuli in Kampala. On 1st August 2020, she presented at Kibuli Muslim Hospital with signs and symptoms consistent with COVM-19 which include: mild fever, cough and difficulty in breathing. Upon suspecting COVID-19, the Kibuli Muslim Hospital team referred her to Mulago National Referral hospital for further management on the same day. Unfortunately, she passed away on her way to Mulago hospital. May her soul rest in eternal peace.
Further investigations revealed that she was diabetic and off medication and had a history of asthma for 10 years. Both diabetes and asthma are risk factors for COVID-19. Samples were taken off from her body and sent to laboratories for analysis.
The samples were analyzed at three different laboratories; Makerere University, Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) and Central Public Health Laboratories confirmed SARS-COV-2. The process of contact tracing and listing is on-going.
Additionally, samples taken from a suspected COVID-19 death in Kinthura district have tested NEGATIVE for COVID-19.
In the same vein, thirteen (13) new COVID-19 cases were confirmed from samples tested on 02nd August, 2020. Out of the thirteen (13) confirmed cases; four (4) are truck drivers, five (5) are contacts to previously confirmed cases, two (2) are returnees, while two (2) alerts from Buikwe and Kampala Metropolitan Area, mentioned above and succumbed to the disease.
Regarding the four (4) truck drivers, two (2) arrived from DRC via Bunagana Point of Entry while two (2) arrived from Kenya via Malaba Point of Entry.
Two (2) returnees arrived from USA and were under quarantine at the time of test. The five (5) contacts to previously confirmed cases; three (3) are from Kampala Metropolitan Area while two (2) are from Oulu District. All were under quarantine at the time of test.
Eighteen (18) foreign truck drivers (11 Kenyans, 5 Tanzanians and 2 Congolese) tested positive for COVID-19 at the border points of entry and their entry into the country was not permitted.
A summary of the results from the laboratory is shown below.
Number of new confirmed cases: 13
Number of Ugandan truck drivers confirmed: 4
Number of alerts confirmed: 2
Number of contacts confirmed: 5
Number of returnees confirmed: 2
Cumulative confirmed cases of Ugandans to-date: 1,195
COVID-19 deaths: 1
COVID-19 deaths registered to-date: 5
Cumulative Ugandan recoveries to-date: 1,070
Number of foreign truck drivers who tested positive for COVID-19 and were requested to return to their country of origin: 18
Samples from Points of Entry tested: 1,690
Samples from Alerts and Contacts tested: 795
Total number of samples tested: 2,485
Cumulative COVID-19 samples tested to-date: 280,747
The Ministry of Health would like to appeal to the general public to call the toll free line on 0800-100-066 or 0800-203-033 to report any suspected person with signs and symptoms similar to COVID-19.
