This archive report was first published on 24 June 2020.
On June 22, 2020, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni addressed the nation, revealing that the country had registered 774 coronavirus cases from 170,789 samples.
However, he also disclosed that there were another 1,067 foreign cases which were handed over to their respective countries after testing positive for the virus before entering Uganda.
According to Mr. Museveni, the World Health Organisation (WHO) had advised that all countries must include all coronavirus cases in their count, irrespective of where the testing was done.
Mr. Museveni expressed his disagreement with the WHO's stance, stating, 'Those WHO people also are not gods. They are like Museveni. They need help. They were saying somebody who is just passing, if he is tested here we own him. We said no. We don't know him because he was not infected here.'
He further explained that Uganda had successfully turned back 1,067 foreigners who had tested positive for the virus before entering the country.
Dr. Yonas Tegegn, the WHO Uganda country representative, clarified that they follow the data reported by individual governments, adding, 'It is not about change of policy. Our policy is that we follow what is reported by the government.'
Mr. Museveni warned that Uganda is entering a more dangerous phase of the pandemic, with new positive cases being registered within the population, mostly linked to truck drivers or those who illegally entered the country from neighboring countries.
