The Vision Group journalist who tested for coronavirus on Monday has finally been taken to Entebbe Grade B hospital after spending three days in self-isolation at his residence.
The Bukedde newspaper journalist was picked up from his residence on Thursday afternoon contrary to the ministry of Health guidelines requiring that all positive cases are immediately isolated to prevent further transmission of the virus.
According to sources at New Vision, two journalists - one male and one female both tested positive on Monday. They were reportedly tested by a team from State House because they were going to cover President Yoweri Uganda.
While the asymptomatic female journalist was in office when the results were returned and was immediately whisked off into isolation, the male journalist was at his home. He was asked to self-isolate at home where a health team would pick him up. However, the health team neither showed up nor contacted the journalist.
Like the Vision Group journalist, a staff of the NTV who also tested positive on Monday was only picked up later on Tuesday night and taken to Mulago specialized national referral hospital for treatment.
However, when our reporter spoke to Health minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, she said it wasn't possible that the two had not yet been linked to care given the high rate of transmission in the country.
She also called on Ugandans to take personal responsibility to protect themselves against COVID-19 because of the surge in cases especially in Kampala where a total of 51 people have tested positive in a single day, according to results of tests done on Wednesday.
Uganda also recorded the highest number of positives in a single day at 94. Overall, Uganda has so far recorded 1,750 positive cases from a total of 336,713 samples tested to date. Of the positive, 1194 have recovered and 19 have succumbed to the viral respiratory disease.
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