KAMPALA, May 28 – Uganda on Thursday assured tourists that national parks and other tourist attractions across the East African country remain safe to visit, saying Ebola prevention measures have been strengthened at all sites.
Robust health and preventive measures have been put in place at tourist destinations, Bashir Hangi, communications officer of the Uganda Wildlife Authority, the state agency responsible for managing national parks, told Xinhua by telephone.
“Our parks are safe. We are practicing safe tourism. We have put in place SOPs (standard operating procedures) at our game parks and tourist attraction centers to protect the safety of our tourists,” he said.
“We have thermal temperature screening stations at the park entrance, mandatory sanitization and have installed handwashing facilities, among others, to prevent and contain Ebola at our game parks,” Hangi said.
He noted that the Ebola outbreak has prompted some tourists to postpone their travel plans to Uganda.
“Some of them (tour companies) are telling us they are getting reschedules. People are not refusing to come, but are choosing to come at a later date,” Hangi said.
Some countries have issued travel advisories against travel to Uganda following Ebola outbreaks reported in the country and neighboring eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Ugandan authorities, however, say the outbreak in the country has been contained, noting that no new cases have recently been reported.
According to the Ministry of Health, Uganda has recorded seven confirmed Ebola cases, while contacts linked to the cases are under quarantine.
