JOHANNESBURG

As many as 100 people, who arrived in Uganda from China, have been placed on a 14-day quarantine in a bid to avoid the possible spread of the coronavirus into the country, local media reported Thursday.

Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng told reporters in Kampala that 44 of those quarantined were Chinese nationals and the remaining 56 are Ugandans, the Daily Monitor newspaper reported.

“Those without visible symptoms will be isolated and quarantined in their houses after sensitization. Even without symptoms, infected persons may be infectious but this is in rare cases. They will be followed up by our surveillance officers for 14 days,” Aceng said.

African countries have increased efforts to avert the spread of the new coronavirus by intensifying health checks at airports and some have even suspended flights to China, where the virus has killed 563 people as of Thursday.

A total of 28,018 cases of the diseases have been confirmed and the numbers continue to increase.

Rwanda Air and Kenya Airways have both suspended flights to Guangzhou, China as they monitor the situation.

There is no confirmed case of coronavirus in Africa as yet.