Drivers arriving from Democratic Republic Congo-DRC in recent days have been put under the mandatory 14-days quarantine at Bwera Secondary School as a measure to control the spread of coronavirus.
Truck drivers
in Kasese District have raised concerns over the state of quarantine centres in
the district.
Drivers
arriving from Democratic Republic Congo-DRC in recent days have been put under
the mandatory 14-days quarantine at Bwera Secondary School as a measure to
control the spread of coronavirus.
Yohazi Kananga
a truck driver who spent two days in the quarantine after he tested negative to covid-19 says that the centre lacks beds and were made to
sleep on desks.
He also says that the centre lacked sanitary
facilities including bathrooms which could expose them to other diseases.
//Cue in:
“Nawe Quarantine bwe…
Cue
out:..naye bo bagana.”//
Aiman
Baluku, another truck driver says that the centre was manned by people without
any medical background. He recalls
how the twelve of them were put in a double cabin vehicle as they were being driven to
the centre,
//Cue in
There were no mattresses…
Cue out; “…it was okay.”//
Peter
Baluku a businessman says that he has stopped going to DRC to buy merchandise because he doesn't want to be quarantined.
“There is soap, no sanitizers, no beds and mattresses, so it’s better I wait to travel
than being quarantined in such a place,” he suggests.
Kasese RDC
Joe Walusimbi acknowledges the gaps. He, however, says the number of days for
drivers in the quarantine centre will reduce.
//Cue in:
“They should follow…
Cue out: “…is an entry point.”//
Initially, Kasese COVID-19
task force had proposed to quarantine the drivers in designated hotels in the
district, however the plan was halted due to the high costs.
