Americans to be evacuated from Uganda tomorrow

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The US Embassy in Uganda in it’s latest health alert has told its citizens that a plane set to evacuate them from Uganda departs on Friday, 3rd April, 2020.

The embassy resolved to exit their willing citizens who are able to pay for their return home via Qatar airways following a lock down by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni initially closing the airport and finally all forms of personal transportation to curb further spread of coronavirus disease (COVID -19). Uganda now has 44 people who have tested positive.

Following the lock down, Health Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng had noted that countries who have citizens and would wish to evacuate them were free to do so. But, even as this plane is available, the embassy told Americans in the country that it is not operated by the US government and that they should prepare to pay for their travel and that this was going to be the last flight out of Uganda for the foreseeable future.

“Availability and cancellations will be controlled by the airline. The flight will be via an international routing to either JFK (New York) or IAD (Washington DC), with the option for onward domestic flights according to availability.

The airline estimates the cost will be approximately $2500 per ticket for an itinerary terminating at IAD.  The price may vary depending on final destination,” reads the health alert in part.

However, even as these Americans are set to leave, the US government in their Global Level Four Advisory, urge their citizens not to engage in international travels due to the pandemic.

“There is no guarantee that the Department of State will be able to continue to provide repatriation assistance and transportation options to the United States and may be unavailable in the future. If you choose to remain overseas, you should be prepared to remain where you are for the foreseeable future,” the advisory reads.

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