Foreigners Struggling to Leave Uganda after the Emergence of Corona Virus
By George William Kakooza
Several Foreigners including Diplomats have been struggling to leave Uganda after the first emergence of the corona virus.
The foreigners were caught up at Entebbe International airport on Sunday evening as a handful of aircrafts from five different airline companies were bringing in people and awaiting to take foreigners to their respective countries.
President Museveni on Saturday evening announced that the airport will be closing out to all incoming passenger flights. Only cargo aircrafts will be allowed into the country. The ban started on Sunday at midnight.
By Sunday evening before the aircrafts ban would be implemented, only Ethiopian Airlines, Qatar, Emirates, Kenya Airways and KLM aircrafts jetted into the country, meeting more than 800 passengers to transport.
By 6.00 pm, the last aircraft, KLM had jetted into the country only to find Diplomats and other European Nationals who were struggling to leave the country.
Some of the foreigners Journalists spoke to indicated that they would be more confident getting back home where they can find better health regulations and medical facilities.
The closure of the airport due to the emergence of the first Corona Virus Victim in Uganda has left many people who earn from the transport business at Entebbe International Airport without getting income.
Katumba Idd the Chairperson of Bugonga Airport Taxi Operators says, the 200 airport taxi drivers now go for more than 4 days without clients which has greatly affected their come generation.
Meanwhile, more Tanzanias have continued to jet into Uganda through the pourus borders in Kalangala on Nkose, Miyana, Kuye and Lujaabwa islands where immigration regulations are shaky. By Sunday evening, two more boats according to Richard Kateeba, a fisherman at Nkose Landing site jetted into the country with more than 20 Tanzanians from the border point in Ukelewe, close to Bukoba in Tanzania.
Willy Lugoloobi, the kalangala District Chairperson has continued to call upon government to implement the Standard Operating Procedures that help prevent the spread of Corona Virus.
Only kalangala infrastructure Services in Kalangala has honored the call to have prevention measures at the kalangala Entry Points by the institution of a temporary screening center in Bugoma, Mugoye Sub County, kalangala.
