TRANSPARENCY: CoST Uganda Commissions 2nd Infrastructure Transparency Index
Shift Media News 
BY PATRICK JARAMOGI
KAMPALA, UGANDA|SHIFTMEDIA| With just about a week for the third lockdown phase of 21 days about to elapse, the new infections of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Uganda is worrying.
The last tests carried out on Thursday, May 14, 2020, indicated fresh new infections of 21 cases, apparently all truck drivers.
According to Health Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, in a twit, said the 21 new cases tested positive of the coronavirus out of the 1,593 samples taken from truck drivers entering the country.
The new cases include Ugandan truck drivers, Kenyans, Tanzanians and South Sudanese who arrived via Mutukula, Busia and Elegu borders
“All 303 community samples have tested negative for COVID-19,” read the statement issued by the Ministry of Health.
Most of the drivers who tested positive in recent weeks have been coming from neighboring countries including Kenyan, Tanzania, South Sudan among others.
Earlier during a presser held in Kampala, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng said the rapid assessment survey conducted so far has revealed that there is no community transmission of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Uganda.
She said out of 14,061 participants of the targeted 23,000 samples, only four sporadic cases tested positive including; two police officers, a Ugandan student returnee from Bukoba in Tanzania, and a truck driver in Rakai.
Kenya’s numbers shoot to 758
Meanwhile Kenya’s Health Cabinet Secretary Dr Mercy Mwangangi on Thursday said the number of persons who have contracted the deadly Coronavirus in Kenya has gone up to 758 after 21 more people tested positive in the last 24 hours.
Dr.. Mercy Mwangangi said the new cases were confirmed from 1,486 samples tested in the last 24 hours bringing the total samples tested in the country to 36,918.
Sadly, Dr. Mwangangi announced that two more people had died in the last 24 hours and this brought the total fatalities from the novel virus to 42 in Kenya.
The ages of the 21 new Covid-19 patients range from 7-79, with 14 being male and 7 female.
The two deaths were reported in Nairobi as Thursday marked the 57th day since the first Coronavirus case was confirmed in Kenya.
“Four of the 21 positive cases are truck drivers who were tested at the Namanga border,” said the CAS.
However, Dr. Mwangangi announced that three more patients have been discharged from hospital bringing to 284 the total number of recoveries in the country.
The 21 new cases are distributed in the country as follows; Mombasa 12, Kajiado 4, Nairobi 4, and Uasin Gishu 1.
In Mombasa, the cases are spread out in the estates as follows; Likoni 5, Mvita 4, Jomvu 2, and Nyali 1.
And in Nairobi, Eastleigh and Kibra each recorded two cases while in Uasin Gishu the single case was recorded in Turbo.
The CAS added that the government was paying more attention to the country’s border points, especially Namanga, over increased virus cases being reported.
She highlighted rising concerns over the porous nature of the country’s borders and the huge risk posed by infected individuals coming in from other countries.
“We appeal to communities living within and around boarder counties to actively exercise the ‘Nyumba Kumi’ community policing. We should be vigilant and report individuals using ‘panya routes’ to get into the country,” said Dr Mwangangi.
