The death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda rose to three, the Ministry of Health said in a statement on Friday.
“The Ministry of Health would like to inform the public that Uganda has registered one COVID-19 death today. This brings the total COVID-19 deaths to three,” the statement said.
According to the ministry, the deceased was a 67-year-old man of Nigerian origin who sought treatment at a private clinic after showing symptoms consistent with COVID-19, such as chest pain, cough and fever.
“He later went to Kiruddu Referral Hospital where he was admitted and samples were taken off. Unfortunately he passed on on July 29th 2020,” the statement added.
“The samples analyzed at Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) confirmed SARS COV-2. SO far 15 contacts have been listed.”
The ministry also confirmed that samples taken from a 27-year-old who collapsed and died on Wednesday tested negative for COVID-19.
On July 23, the ministry confirmed the country’s first COVID-19-related death with the second one being confirmed three days later. Uganda was one of the few countries in the continent which had not yet recorded a death from COVID-19 by mid-July, according to the Africa CDC.
Meanwhile the ministry also reported seven new confirmed cases of which two were truck drivers who came from the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan.
“Two are contacts to previously confirmed case; one from Gulu and one from Namisindwa Districts.”
In addition to the seven new cases, 24 truck drivers, more than half who were Kenyans, tested positive for COVID-19 and were denied entry into the country.
As of July 31, Uganda has reported 1,154 confirmed cases, a figure which only represents Ugandans.
