KAMPALA – Cabinet has approved the shift in response interventions and recommendations made for Phase IV of the COVID-19 as recommended by both the Ministry of Health and the National Task Force on the pandemic.
According to the directives issues on Tuesday, 29 September 2020, all arriving travellers will be required to have a negative test on arrival (72hrs). For travellers presenting with symptoms at the airport without a test result, a sample will be collected upon arrival and the individual asked to quarantine at their cost until the result is returned.
Responsibility of ensuring that Travellers are tested prior to travel, would rest with the Airlines.
All arriving travellers will no longer be subjected to institutionalised quarantine. They will be given guidance on the recommended procedures for self-quarantine where needed and for infection prevention.
Testing for any of the recent travellers would be symptom based, in the event that they develop symptoms consistent with COVID -19.
Contacts will be advised to self-quarantine for 14 days and tested if symptomatic
Contacts who are in the high-risk category will be prioritized for testing to ensure early diagnosis and management.
The most vulnerable individuals will be prioritized for tracking, testing and care if infected.
Self-isolation and self-management, under well-defined SOPs and clear referral pathways will be instituted for the asymptomatic non-high-risk individuals
Health facility-based isolation and care will be preserved for the moderately, severely and critically ill case-patients.
Consideration will be made for auxilliary non-health-facility-based isolation and management of mild cases especially among the high-risk categories. Adjustments will be made to the duration of hospitalization/ institutional care, based on time and symptom-based discharge criteria spelt out in case management SOPs.
Avoid visiting vulnerable relatives or hosting gatherings at their homes . Caretakers of the vulnerable groups should observe preventive measures at all times.