By Frank Kamuntu
Kampala, Entebbe: Following a spike in Covid-19 cases in Uganda, Civil Aviation Authority has issued tight guidelines to all travelers in a bid to curb the rapid transmission of the deadly virus.
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In its new SOPs that will be put in effect from Saturday, December 19, 2020, departing and arriving passengers will only be dropped or picked from the airport by at most two people, including the driver of the car in order to avoid unnecessary crowding at the airport.
“Please note that vehicles with more than the authorized number of people will not be allowed to access the airport,” CAA said in a public notice.
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The notice adds that departing passengers should also have an authentic and valid negative COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test certificate issued within 120 hours from the time of sample collection to the time of boarding the aircraft even if the country the passenger is going to does not require it.
The authority clarifies that in case the destination country requires a COVID 19 PCR test certificate issued within less than 120 hours, the number of hours indicated by the destination country take priority.
In addition, the authority notes that the PCR test certificate should be accompanied with a receipt from the test center/ laboratory.
“Arriving passengers should also have an authentic and valid negative COVID-19 PCR test certificate from an accredited laboratory in the country of origin issued within 120 hours from the time of sample collection to time of boarding aircraft leaving country of origin,” notice adds.
READ ALSO: CAA Sets New Tough SOPs Over Alarming Covid-19 Cases Ahead Of Airport Reopening
The development comes after Ministry of Health yesterday announced 710 new COVID-19 cases and 2 deaths from results tested on 17 December 2020, bringing the cumulative confirmed cases to 30,071 and 230 deaths.
The breakdown of the new results were: 705 contacts and alerts: Kampala (363), Wakiso (66), Kazo (44), Luwero (28), Kiboga (23), Jinja (24), Mukono (20), Kanungu (19), Bunyangabu (15), Nakaseke (10), Kasese (9), Gomba (7), Kagadi (7), Tororo (10), Rukungiri (6), Kyankwanzi (6), Gulu (5), Mbarara (4).
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Otherss were from; Kiruhura (4), Kyenjojo (4), Kalungu (4), Soroti (3), Kamwenge (3), Ntungamo (3), Bushenyi (3), Butaleja (2), Kisoro (2), Katakwi (2), Kakumiro (1), Isingiro (1), Bugiri (1), Busia (1), Mitooma (1), Kyotera (1), Kigezi (1), Kabale (1), Kayunga (1), Kabarole (1) 5 Truck Drivers: 3 Malaba, 2 Elegu.
