Uganda suspends mandatory Covid-19 testing for arrivals

Entebbe International Airport. [Courtesy]

Uganda’s Ministry of Health has suspended mandatory Covid-19 testing of all incoming travellers at Entebbe International Airport.

According to the Health Director-General, Dr Henry Mwebesa, the decision was reached after the Cabinet meeting and takes effect from Wednesday, February 16.

“The Ministry of Health would like to inform the public that the mandatory Covid-19 testing of all incoming travellers at Entebbe International Airport upon arrival has been stopped with effect from today, February 16, 2022,” the press release read in part.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">PRESS RELEASE: The <a href="https://twitter.com/MinofHealthUG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MinofHealthUG</a> has stopped the mandatory COVID-19 testing of all incoming travellers at Entebbe International Airport with effect from today, 16 February 2022. <a href="https://t.co/NwQgPEkKVD">pic.twitter.com/NwQgPEkKVD</a></p>&mdash; Ministry of Health- Uganda (@MinofHealthUG) <a href="https://twitter.com/MinofHealthUG/status/1493942791289851908?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Ministry has attributed the move to a decline in positive cases identified at the airport and a reduction in the global threat of new variants.

Despite the mandatory testing suspension, the ministry maintains that all incoming and exiting travellers must be tested 72 hours before boarding a plane.

“Our health workers will continue to screen all travellers both at arrival and departure and verify their Covid-19 test certificates,”