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Public Health (Prevention of COVID-19) (Requirements and Conditions of Entry into Uganda) Order, 2020

Statutory Instrument 46 of 2020

Citation
Statutory Instrument 46 of 2020
Primary work
Public Health Act
Date
17 March 2020
Language
English
Type
Statutory Instrument
Uganda
Public Health Act

Public Health (Prevention of COVID-19) (Requirements and Conditions of Entry into Uganda) Order, 2020

Statutory Instrument 46 of 2020

In Exercise of powers conferred upon the Minister by section 36 of the Public Health Act, Cap.281, this Order is made this 13th day of March, 2020.

1. Title.

This Order may be cited as the Public Health (Prevention of COVID - 19) (Requirements and Conditions of Entry into Uganda) Order, 2020.

2. Interpretation

In this Order—"medical officer" means any registered medical practitioner in the employment of Government, but does not include a licensed medical practitioner;"medical officer of health" means the Director General of Health Services or any medical officer in the employment of Government and includes any member of the Government medical subordinate staff being a registered or licensed medical practitioner or other medical practitioner appointed by the Director General of Health Services to act as such in any district;"medical practitioner" means a person who is registered or licensed as such under any law in force in Uganda, governing the registration of medical practitioners;"operator" includes a pilot, officer or other person in charge of a vehicle, aircraft or vessel.

3. Examination at port of entry by medical officer of health for COVID-19

A medical officer of health shall examine for COVID – 19, any person arriving in Uganda and may, for this purpose, enter upon or board any vehicle, aircraft or vessel arriving in Uganda and examine any person on board the vehicle, aircraft or vessel.

4. Powers of medical officer of health to isolate or quarantine

(1)A medical officer of health shall, on examination of a person in accordance with paragraph 3, hold in isolation, at a place designated for that purpose, any person who is suffering from COVID – 19.
(2)This paragraph shall apply to a person who transits through Uganda or who has not been granted authority to enter Uganda by an immigration officer under the law relating to immigration and in this case, the person shall, at the end of the isolation period or quarantine period under paragraph 6, be removed from, or exit Uganda, at his or her expense.

5. Powers of medical officer to disinfect vehicle, aircraft or vessel

Where a vehicle, aircraft or vessel has clinical signs of contamination with COVID – 19 or where a medical officer of health has information of contamination of a vehicle, aircraft or vessel with COVID - 19, the medical officer of health may decontaminate or cause the decontamination of the affected vehicle, aircraft or vessel.

6. Categorisation of persons entering into Uganda

(1)For the purposes of this Order, persons arriving in Uganda shall, subject to paragraph 4, be categorized as follows—
(a)category 1, who shall after examination for COVID – 19, be quarantined at a place designated for that purpose by the Minister, for 14 days or where a medical officer of health determines, for a longer period;
(b)category 2, who shall after examination for COVID – 19, be observed by a medical officer of health for 14 days or where the medical officer of health determines, for a longer period; and
(c)category 3, who shall, after examination for COVID – 19, be advised by a medical officer of health on the measures to take to avoid being infected with COVID – 19.
(2)A medical officer of health may give directives to the persons in category 1 and 2 for the duration of the quarantine or observation, respectively.
(3)The categorization of persons under this paragraph shall be based on the countries of departure and transit of the persons arriving in Uganda and any other factors as may be determined by a medical officer of health.

7. Operator to give assistance

The operator of any vehicle, aircraft or vessel shall give all assistance as may be necessary to a medical officer of health during the exercise of the powers in this Order.

8. Offences and penalties.

(1)Any person who—
(a)contravenes or fails to comply with any of the requirements of this Order or any instructions lawfully issued or made under it;
(b)obstructs or hinders any medical officer of health or any other duly authorised officer, in the execution of his or her duties under this Order;
(c)fails or refuses to give any information which he or she is lawfully required by any medical officer of health or any other duly authorised officer to give; or
(d)gives to any medical officer of health or any other duly authorised officer false or misleading information, knowing it to be false or misleading, commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, except as provided in paragraph (2) of this Order, to imprisonment for a period not exceeding three months.
(2)An operator of a vehicle, aircraft or vessel who contravenes or fails to comply with any provision of this Order or who makes any false statement or false answer to any question, knowing it to be false, commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a period not exceeding twelve months.

9. Duration of Order

This Order shall expire on notification by the Minister.DR. JANE RUTH ACENG,Minister of Health.
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History of this document

17 March 2020 this version
Commenced