Eight-month-old baby among five new cases of COVID-19 in Uganda

Mar 25, 2020, 9:37 AM | Updated: Jan 25, 2023, 11:59 am

Passengers are asked to desinfect their hands upon arrival from international flights before being screened to detect signs of the novel coronavirus at Entebbe Airport on March 3, 2020. (SUMY SADURNI/AFP/AFP via Getty Images)

(SUMY SADURNI/AFP/AFP via Getty Images)

BY SAMSOM NTALE, CNN

KSLNewsRadio

(CNN) — An eight month old baby is among five new cases of COVID-19 Uganda reported on Wednesday, bringing the total number to 14 people that have tested positive in the country.

Uganda’s Director General of Health Service Dr. Henry Mwebesa in a televised address said among the five new cases are two Chinese nationals who fled an institutional quarantine with four others.

They were found hiding in the West Nile region bordering eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, and will be later charged to court. authorities said.

The other confirmed cases include an eight-month-old whose father had traveled to Kenya the previous week as well as a 63-year-old who arrived in Uganda from Germany.

Another case had no travel history abroad but trades at the border with South Sudan, Mwebesa said.

Uganda has taken stringent steps to try to halt the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

They were one of the first African countries to impose travel restrictions on its citizens and others traveling from 16 countries it said had a high number of cases of coronavirus, including the US and UK.

Health Minister Jane Aceng said those who insist on visiting the East African nation from these countries would have to self-quarantine for 14 days at their own cost at home or at a government facility.

They were also among the first African country to announce a ban on large public gatherings including weddings, church and Jumat services for a period of 30 days.

President Museveni also announced the closure of schools including universities, citing the need to prevent the influx of cases from countries in the East African region.