Business as usual at Elegu border despite Covid-19 travel ban

Business as usual at Elegu border despite Covid-19 travel ban

Despite the mandatory locks imposed by President Museveni to curb Covid-19, the business has continued as usual on the Northern Uganda border of Elegu, Amuru district.

Business is in high gears at the border as cargo trucks keep on delivering goods to Juba which has left the police and army with the role of ensuring that Standard Operating Procedures are being adhered to in between the Southern Sudan border of Nimule and the Ugandan border of , Elegu.

According to one of the traders, Joseph Nyeko a dealer in fuel across the border, everything is as normal as it was before the lockdown was imposed provided you wear your mask, sanitize and keep a Social distance.

Another trader Lilly Adokorach a food vendor while speaking to media, media that despite President Museveni’s ban, their customers from both Nimule and Juba sill flock into the country.

In 2020, Elegu registered upto 35,000 Covid-19 patients which made it have one of the highest numbers of cases given the fact that most cargo truck drivers trek for long distances with their merchandise.

The in charge Elegu Port Health Mr. Robert Onekalit said that their in deed too many cross border movements in between the neighboring countries and this shall only limit on chances of curbing the spread of the virus.

He went on to say that unlike the truck drivers who are usually tested by the time they arrive at the border, many of the members of the local community just keep on crossing the border without any close observation whatsoever since their are few stuff members.

On the other hand, Dr Patrick Odong Olwedo told local media that the border is in deed open but under very strict surveillance to ensure that the masses are adhering to the Standard Operating Procedures.

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Additionally, he informed that travellers are usually tested at a private laboratory known as Test & Fly.

In line to the above, the Amuru Resident District Commission who is also the District Task Force Chairperson for Covid-19, Mr. Geoffrey Oceng Osborn defended saying that it is close to impossible to cut off cross border interactions seeing as Elegu market is the primary sources of essential needs for the local population.

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