Uganda’s Covid-19 cases have risen to 139 after 13 more people tested positive on Wednesday, according to the Ministry of Health.

Of these 7 are Ugandans, 5 Kenyans and 1 Eritrean.

The patients arrived in the country from Tanzania, South Sudan and Kenya via Mutukula, Elegu and Malaba, Mutukula, Elegu and Malaba border posts, according to the ministry.

The 13 new cases were among the 2,104 samples from truck drivers tested at the Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe.

According to the ministry, 363 community samples tested on Wednesday came out negative.

Over the past few weeks Uganda has registered an increase in corona virus cases after more than 61 truck drivers were found to be carrying the virus.

34 truck drivers have since been repatriated to their countries while the rest are being treated in Uganda.

East African member states this week proposed long-distance truckers be tested for Covid-19 before they embark on their journeys to limit further spread and ensure cross-border trade continues uninterrupted.

As at Wednesday, Uganda had tested over 65,275 people of which 139 are positive cases. 55 people have recovered and no deaths have been recorded.

Dr Diana Atwiine the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health confirmed that government has ordered for more than 500,000 testing kits for the corona virus which will arrive in a weeks’ time.

The development came after the Uganda Virus Research Institute cited shortages of testing kits for Covid-19.