KAMPALA, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Ugandan Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda on Friday went into self-isolation after some of his contacts tested positive for COVID-19.
"Friends, I have gone into self-isolation after some of my contacts tested positive for COVID-19. My own test result is negative, however, I have taken this decision as a health recommended measure," he said on Twitter.
Rugunda is the head of the country's national task force in the fight against the disease.
This development comes after the ministry of health said all cabinet ministers would be tested for the virus that causes COVID-19.
Emmanuel Ainebyoona, the ministry spokesperson, told Xinhua by telephone on Friday that the testing will be repeated routinely later.
"We started testing all the ministers today (Friday) because they move from place to place and meet different people," he said. "We want to ensure they are safe and that is why we shall repeat the tests routinely."
Ainebyoona said the decision was made on the advice of the ministry's incident management team.
"The same team also advised us to test the ministry of health staff as well as journalists who are covering the COVID-19 activities and other workers at the Office of the Prime Minister," he said.
The ministry last week said that seven health workers had tested positive for the virus and a team had been set up to investigate what led to the infections.
In its latest update, the health ministry said Uganda reported 35 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total confirmed cases to 557.
Out of the 2,679 samples collected from cross-border cargo truck drivers and communities over the last 24 hours, 15 Ugandans from points of entry and 20 contact and alerts cases tested positive for the virus, the ministry said.
It said 31 foreign truck drivers who tested positive for COVID-19 were handed over to their respective countries of origin.
Of the 557 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 82 have recovered and no one has died of the disease in the country, the health ministry said. Enditem
