The government apologizes for the COVID-19 testing delays.
The government apologizes for the COVID-19 testing delays at the airport and claims that the issues have been resolved.
The Ministry of Health has apologized for the COVID-19 testing delays that irritated some tourists at Entebbe International Airport on Wednesday.
Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, Minister of Health, stated that at least 30 testing booths would be set up to help with the workload.
Travelers who arrived in the nation on Wednesday night resorted to social media to express their dissatisfaction, claiming that they had been forced to wait all night for their COVID-19 test results.
Minister Aceng paid a visit to the airport on Thursday to learn about the difficulties that travelers were raising and to put in place mitigation measures.
Aceng told the press on Friday that the uproar was caused by travelers being unable to access their results, which were being printed and read out manually, as well as the public address system not being loud enough, causing congestion at the dispatch desk.
According to Aceng, the issue has been fixed, and results will now be distributed via an internet system.
“Results will no longer be distributed manually, but rather through an online system that includes e-mails, WhatsApp messages, and the display of names on available screens mounted on the walls for those without smartphones or laptops,” Aceng said.
Results will now be connected to passports or travel documents to allow for faster scanning and verification, and turnaround time for results will be between 45 minutes and 2 hours, according to Aceng.
She also stated that the government has established an online registration gateway where tourists can register prior to arriving at the airport, making the process considerably more efficient.
Samples will now be taken from at least 30 sample collecting booths, each with the capacity to collect 30 samples every 5 minutes, according to Aceng.
With the revised standards, she advised tourists to contact corporate to make the process go more smoothly for everyone.
“We regret what happened at the airport, and we commit to continue to identify and address difficulties as they arise,” Aceng said.
President Museveni announced the new required tests last Monday, claiming that they will protect the country against new Covid-19 variations being imported.
According to the government, the action is also intended to shield the country from a potential third wave.
According to the new standards, all arriving passengers must undergo a required COVID-19 PCR test upon arrival at the airport, regardless of vaccination status or country of origin.
However, children under the age of six are not included in the rules (6).
Travelers must also have a negative PCR test certificate acquired within 72 hours of leaving the country of origin with them.
