This archive report was first published on 24 April 2020.
On April 23, 2020, Ugandan Internal Affairs Minister Jeje Odongo announced plans to restrict cross-border cargo truck drivers due to the surge in Covid-19 cases.
According to Minister Odongo, the country had only 56 confirmed cases as of Tuesday, but the number jumped to 61 on Wednesday, with five new cases attributed to cross-border truck drivers from Kenya and Tanzania.
One proposed measure is relay driving, where a driver from a neighboring country hands over the vehicle to a Ugandan driver at the border after sanitization.
Another possible measure is deploying rapid test kits at the border, but Minister Odongo noted that this may be costly, with each test costing $65 and involving three people per truck.
Additionally, drivers may be required to park in designated areas to limit their interaction with the public.
