Uganda’s Ministry of Health late Saturday, May 30, 2020 reported 84 new cases of COVID-19, the highest daily increase so far, bringing the nationwide tally to 413.
Out of the 1,835 samples collected from cross-border cargo truck drivers and communities in the last 24 hours, 52 Ugandan truck drivers and 32 contacts of previously confirmed cases under quarantine tested positive for the virus, the ministry said in a statement.
“Additionally, 51 positive foreign truck drivers were handed over to their country of origin,’’ it said.
It has been the highest daily increase in COVID-19 cases since the index case was confirmed on March 21.
A total of 72 recoveries and no death has been so far reported in the country, according to the ministry.
Similarly, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control on Saturday announced the highest daily figure of confirmed coronavirus cases in the West African nation, with 553 new infections recorded.
This brings the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 9, 855.
The NCDC, on its official twitter handle said that, as of May 30, 12 deaths were recorded in Nigeria.
Some 2,856 patients have been treated and discharged.
The NCDC data showed that the cases spread across 14 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with Lagos accounting for the highest number of 378 infections.
Others reported were; FCT (52), Delta (23), Edo (22), Rivers (14), Ogun (13), Kaduna (12), Kano (nine), Borno (seven), Katsina (six), Jigawa (five), Oyo (five), Yobe (three), Plateau (three) and Osun (one).
The NCDC noted that the government was working hard to test and treat who may have been infected with COVID-19.
“Please be cooperative and avoid discrimination against those who have been visited by public health officials. They need your support and care while you aware taking responsibility,” it said.
The NCDC announced the inclusion of Bauchi State Reference Molecular Laboratory, bringing the total number of laboratories with the capacity to test for COVID-19 in the country to 29.
The NCDC said there are more than one laboratories in states like Edo, Lagos and Kano, while efforts were ongoing to set up laboratories in Kwara and Gombe States.
The health agency said it had a national testing strategy and that was why it was using the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), to scale for the COVID-19.
“At the moment, the COVID-19 tests that we report daily are coming from the PCR, they detect the genetic information of the virus, the RNA. That’s only possible if the virus is there and someone is actively infected.
“PCR tests are used to directly detect the presence of an antigen, rather than the presence of the body’s immune response, or antibodies.
“By detecting viral RNA, which will be present in the body before antibodies form or symptoms of the disease are present, the tests can tell whether or not someone has the virus very early on,” it explained.
By Abujah Racheal
