Since outbreak of the novel Coronavirus, a global pandemic that started in the Chinese city of Wuhan that later spread across the entire world causing massive deaths and led to mandatory lockdowns so as to curb high infection spread, caught many people stranded in foreign countries upon temporary closure of international air travel, closing off borders and airports something that left many in the course of traveling after booking for flights frustrated and asking themselves what was next while lockdowns kept on extending especially in Uganda so as to monitor the spread of the virus.
As a result, many Ugandans were left stranded in foreign countries while the Country under the guidance of H.E Gen. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni announced a temporal lockdown on March 18th 2020 as efforts to return stranded citizens abroad back home on special charter flights became futile while Entebbe International Airport was closed off for passenger flights and was only open for Emergency special medical and Cargo flights.
Last week, the Ministry of Foreign affairs together with the Ministry of Health issued Covid-19 guidelines for Ugandans abroad willing to return home on repatriation charter flights to be followed while they register with their embassies and high commissions so as to trace the exact number of those interested traveling back to Uganda after President Museveni started lifting on the lockdown and allowed some sectors of the economy to reopen but upon observing Covid-19 Standards of Procedures so as to limit spread of the Coronavirus in Uganda.
Among Airlines selected to offer passenger repatriation charter flights include Uganda Airlines which had initially scheduled its first return home flight for Ugandans stranded in South Africa on Thursday June 25th 2020 but later on pushed the flight to Wednesday July 2nd 2020 enroute Johannesburg (South Africa) to Entebbe (Uganda) flight while the Airlines looks forward to returning more citizens back home across the region.
Commenting about the date changes, Mr. Roger Wamala – Uganda Airlines Commercial Director said,’’ This is a charter flight, it’s therefore not a scheduled flight thus any changes that come up should be accepted and complied with’’.
He added that, ‘’Ugandans planning to return back home should undertake PCR tests, book and pay for their own repatriation charter flight and upon reaching Entebbe International Airport, they will foot individual bills such as; accommodation and food while being subjected to the Government mandatory 14 days Quarantine for those that don’t want Government facilities’’.
Currently, Entebbe International Airport is still closed off from International Air travel as Government through the Ministry of Works and Transport and the Ministry of Health are still reviewing and planning for a reopen and ways on how to combat the spread of Coronavirus in Uganda when the Airport is fully functional and to ensure no new foreign Covid-19 cases are registered at the airport.
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