The Ministry of Health has confirmed eleven new COVID-19 cases, bringing the number of cases confirmed in Uganda to 696.
The new cases were part of 2,949 samples that were tested on Saturday from different testing points in the country.
Three of the cases were from Elegu while three others were from Malaba points of entry. Others included one front line health worker and four cases among contacts and alerts from Buikwe, Lira, and Adjumani and Amuru districts.
On Saturday, the Minister of Health Dr Jane Ruth Aceng said that Uganda has entered the third stage of infection of COVID-19 following an increase in the number of community cases.
Stage three is deemed the most deadly stage by experts with cases reported everywhere with no trace of how exactly they could have got infected.
So far, the number of infected frontline health workers has also risen to 28.
Meanwhile, 33 foreign truck drivers who tested positive for the virus have been denied entry and handed back to their country of origin.
The number of people who previously tested positive for the virus but have recovered has also risen to 240.
Updating the country on government efforts in COVID-19 response, the Health Minister, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng on Saturday said 33 districts in Uganda had confirmed cases of the virus. These are Amuru, Adjumani, Buikwe, Yumbe, Arua, Koboko, Moyo, Gulu, Kitgum, Lira, Soroti, Kumi, Tororo, Busia, Mayuge, Buvuma, Kayunga, Mukono, Kampala, Jinja, Nakaseke, Masindi, Bulisa, Kiryandongo, Kyankwanzi, Gomba, Masaka, Rakai, Mbarara, Isingiro, Ntungamo, Kyotera and Wakiso.
Ms Aceng said her ministry had excluded the use of general hospitals and health center IVs for the treatment of COVID-19 cases.
“We are now in the process of expanding bed capacities at the National and regional referral hospitals using mobile hospitals in open spaces. 400 beds have been dedicated to COVID-19 treatment at Mulago National Referral hospital. Once the renovation works are complete the bed capacity will be expanded to its full capacity of 900 beds,” she said.
