COVID-19 Measures

COVID-19 Measures

Covid19 - Health & Safety Procedures

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a serious disease and the situation globally is, clearly, very fluid and full of uncertainties. This being the case, the list of affected Countries is endless.

The impact on tourism in affected countries, including Uganda has been enormous, obviously and Indeed, there is no telling how or what stringent measures countries globally are going to be taking to restrict travel. Therefore, we always urge our esteemed customers to be more curious.

Below are procedures that Ugandan government have put in place in light of the coronavirus pandemic. These travel restrictions and guidelines inform passengers from certain countries on what is required and it’s what Bulamu Safaris shall follow while doing its Operations and executing all your tours.

Latest Travel Alert

COVID-19 is still a threat, but with continued public health measures, vaccination and testing, it will be possible to travel internationally. You will need to plan your travel carefully and there are risks.

Travel to Uganda

Entebbe International Airport has reopened to commercial travel since 1 October 2020, with all passengers required to present a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 120 hours before arrival in Uganda. Those without a valid test result will be denied entry. When leaving, passengers are also required to present a negative COVID-19 test taken within 120 hours of departure from Uganda. Passengers travelling on flights during curfew hours will be permitted to travel to the airport on presentation of a valid ticket.

As of 1 May, all travel between India and Uganda has been suspended, and passengers who have been in India in the last 14 days will be denied entry.

Further, passengers from designated Category 2 countries, including the UK, USA, UAE, Turkey, South Africa, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Tanzania will be subjected to a PCR test on arrival at their own expense (US$65 at Entebbe), unless they are fully vaccinated and do not display any symptoms. Passengers from these countries arriving by air will be taken from Entebbe to a nearby testing site, and results may take up to 4 hours. Anyone who tests positive will be taken to a Ministry of Health-designated COVID-19 isolation facility.

There are currently no mandatory quarantine requirements in place in Uganda for new arrivals. Further information and updates can be found on the website of Uganda’s Ministry of Health.

Public Health Measures upon arrival in Uganda

All Tourism activities are fully permitted with a strict observation of SOP's, so feel free!

General covid-19 health measures for Entebbe international airport for all travellers

The Government of the Republic of Uganda has issued the following directives effective October 27, 2021 until further notice on COVID-19 health measures at Entebbe International Airport.

  1. All arriving passengers at Entebbe International Airport will be subjected to COVID-19 test, regardless of country of origin or vaccination status. The only exemptions are;
    • Children below 6 years
    • Airline crew with evidence of full COVID-19 vaccination.
  2. Delivery of test results may be via email, text message (i.e. a PDF sent via WhatsApp) or physical copy.  Make sure to confirm a delivery method that suits your needs before conducting the test, and to take your passport with you to the testing – for results to be properly linked in the electronic system used by the airport
  3. Passengers who test positive for COVID-19 on arrival will be provided psychological support and transferred to the gazetted public and private treatment facilities where they will be managed for 7 days and discharged on a negative PCR test.
  4. The treatment for passengers in (3) above will be free in the Public Hospitals. However, Passengers who opt for Private Hospitals will meet their costs.
  5. In the case of arriving tourists, if they are asymptomatic or with mild disease, they will be managed in the designated tourists Hotels.
  6. The tourists in (5) above who progress to severe disease will be transferred to the hospitals of their choice.
  7. Arriving passengers will pay USD 30 or the equivalent in Uganda Shillings for the COVID-19 PCR test.
  8. The Payments in (7) above may be done online or on arrival using Point of Sales machines, mobile money or cash.
  9. All travellers whose body temperature is NOT above 37.5° C (99.5°F), do not have a persistent cough, difficulty in breathing or other flu-like symptoms shall be allowed to enter or depart Uganda.
  10. Entebbe International Airport Port Health shall approve for arrival or departure a negative COVID-19 PCR test certificate undertaken within 72 hours from the time of sample collection. This excludes transit time at the terminal building.
  11. Travellers who have had COVID-19 vaccination and hold certificate must still present a negative COVID-19 PCR test certificate taken within 72 hours from the time of sample collection to boarding aircraft. This is because the vaccine is not 100% protective, and it also takes several days/weeks to begin protection.
  12. Passengers travelling out of the country, will be required to have negative COVID-19 PCR test Certificate taken within 72 hours from the time of sample collection. They will abide by the health travel requirements of the destination country.
  13. Passengers arriving in the curfew time, and/or from districts beyond Kampala with a valid Air Ticket and Boarding Pass shall be allowed to proceed to their hotels and/or residences.
  14. Passengers departing in the curfew time, and/or from districts beyond Kampala with a valid air ticket shall be allowed to proceed to their destination airport by presentation of the passenger ticket to the authorities as evidence of going to the airport.
  15. Drivers should have evidence that they have come from the Airport (such as Airport parking ticket or passenger ticket) to drop or pick-up passengers.

Bulamu Safaris responsibilities to ensure safety

  • All our drivers/guides will undergo a Covid19 training on prevention, recognizing symptoms, and procedures
  • All driver guides will undergo a Covid19 test or are vaccinated.
  • All Vehicles are operated with hand sanitizer
  • A non-contact thermometer will be available in each vehicle.
  • All our driver/guides are fully masked doily

Social distancing & Primate tracking/park activities

  • All boat safaris, private and shared, are operated on half capacity
  • Gorilla tracking is done in a maximum group size of 8 persons
  • Chimpanzee tracking are done on a maximum group size of 6 persons
  • The distance between trackers and pprimates is increased from 7 to 10 meters to ensure the safety of the primates
  • Masks are a must when approaching the primates
  • Your hands must be sanitized when approaching the primates

Client’s responsibility in ensuring safety

  • Follow the instructions given by your driver guide, lodge receptionist/managers, and rangers
  • Wear your mask and wash or sanitize your hands frequently
  • Always check with your airline and with the airports you will travel through, these procedures may be updated from time to time. Therefore, For the most recent updates upon the COVID19 status in Uganda, visit the following link: www.health.go.ug