Four DRC nationals quarantined in Hoima after illegally crossing into Uganda

Hoima, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Four nationals of the Democratic Republic of Congo have been quarantined at Hoima School of Nursing and Midwifery in Hoima district.

The four are said to have entered the country through the porous border points of Lake Albert on May 30, 2020. they were sighted by residents who immediately alerted security and health officials who later picked them from Kijangi landing site in Tonya parish Buseruka sub-county.

Hoima Resident District Commissioner-RDC Samuel Kisembo says that blood samples have been taken from the group and that the next course of action will be determined by the results. He says otherwise, they will remain under the institutional quarantine for 14-days as recommended by the Health Ministry.

He applauded the community along the Lake Albert shores for being vigilant saying if they were not vigilant enough, the Congolese could have entered and mixed freely with the community. Kisembo cautioned the fishing community to be very cautious and report all people entering the country illegally through the Lake Albert.

Currently, Hoima Regional Referral Hospital COVID-19 treatment unit is handling eight cases of coronavirus disease. They include a 28-year-old truck driver who entered the country through Elegu border post on May 17, 2020, and was intercepted in Bweyale, Kiryandongo district after testing positive for COVID-19. He was admitted to the facility on May 20, 2020.

The seven others are the three Ugandans and four refugees who were transferred to the facility from Adjumani hospital in West Nile sub-region on Tuesday. Uganda currently, has 507 confirmed COVID-19 cases after 18 samples tested positive for the infectious disease on Tuesday.

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