Uganda cuts coronavirus tally in half

Health Minister Jane Aceng, has announced that Uganda’s official tally of coronavirus patients has been cut in half following a directive from President Museveni to expunge all foreign truck drivers from the total.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the country had 260 confirmed cases of Covid-19, but Ms Aceng said the revised figure was actually 145.

The health minister said the drivers removed from Uganda’s tally should be added to their respective countries, though she would not reveal where they came from.

She tweeted “Today, 20 May, 2020, 10 new COVID-19 cases confirmed. 9 new cases are truck drivers while 1 case is a contact case.

“Following a Presidential Directive of deducting all foreign truck drivers from Uganda’s total confirmed case count, the confirmed COVID-19 cases now stand at 145”.

Since the president’s ruling, the health ministry said they have handed 124 foreign drivers back.

[Photo: AFP]