Uganda has introduced a mandatory 21-day quarantine for citizens returning from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as authorities strengthen measures to prevent the spread of Ebola amid reported infections in Nigeria and Kenya.
Health Minister Chris Baryomunsi announced the measure at a news conference in Kampala, disclosing that surveillance had been intensified at Entebbe International Airport and land border crossings.
The Ministry of Health said Ugandans returning from the DRC would be required to bear the cost of their quarantine. Travellers entering the country must also complete forms providing their contact details to enable health officials to monitor them.
The measures come as investigations continue into the source of Nigeria’s first confirmed Ebola case in more than a decade, alongside concerns about a possible link between the infections reported in Nigeria and Kenya.
Uganda declared its Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak over in July after recording 20 infections and two deaths, according to its Ministry of Health. The country maintains that it currently has no active Ebola cases.
Meanwhile, investigations into Nigeria’s imported case are ongoing, with conflicting accounts emerging about the infected woman’s movements before she tested positive for the virus.
