By Spy Uganda
An officer of the Uganda Police Force (UPF) was on Thursday rushed to Mulago National Referral Hospital Isolation Ward, amidst fears that he might have contracted Coronavirus (COVID-19) from a Kenyan truck driver.
According to police spokesperson Patrick Onyango, the said Officer, identified as SGT Patrick Wasagama, got into contact with a truck driver who had been tested for COVID-19 but his results hadn’t been received by the Ministry of Health yet.
A statement issued by CP Onyango last night reads thus; “Our Police Officer and a Kenyan truck Driver have been put under isolation at Mulago hospital after the two came into contact this morning at Jinja Road in Kampala.
This followed an accident that happened at Jinja Road in Kampala involving two trucks, one from Kenya registration number ZE 7462 and Ugandan truck registration number UAN 877D.
Police was informed and a team of Traffic Officers were dispatched to the scene to investigate the incident but also to clear the road for other users.
The officers analysed the scene and did preliminary investigations.
The vehicles were to be taken to Central Police Station, Kampala pending Inspectorate of Vehicle (IOV) inspection.
Without observing the Ministry of Health guidelines on COVID-19, one of our Officers entered in the Kenyan truck together with the Driver and they drove to CPS Kampala.
He sat in the same truck with the Kenyan Driver. This raised suspicion among his supervisors.
They interviewed the Driver who revealed that he was tested for COVID-19 at the border while entering the country and he is awaiting results.
The supervisors in order to protect their personnel resolved that the Traffic Officer SGT Wasagami Patrick and the Kenyan truck Driver, Ibrahim Wewa Bejja, be isolated and they were taken in an ambulance to Mulago Hospital.
We are patiently waiting for the results from the border for the driver.
As Police Force we are determined to adhere to all guidelines intended to curb the spread of Covid19 and we urge our personnel not to just sit in vehicles anyhow.”
However, current data coming in from the Ministry of Health indicates that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases have since reached 85, after new cases were registered on Thursday.
Officials from the Ministry tweeted thus; “The Ministry is conducting the rapid assessment survey among high risk groups to establish community transmission of COVID-19. All samples from the survey are tested at @MakerereU laboratory.”
They added that “2 new COVID-19 cases confirmed today: The confirmed cases are: a 35 y/o Kenyan male truck driver who arrived via Busia border. Our tracking system shows that he returned to Kenya. The Second is a Ugandan male from Masindi District, who was confirmed from the rapid assessment survey. Confirmed cases: 85.”
