Covid-19 - Health & Safety Procedures

Keeping you safe

Covid19 - Health & Safety Procedures

Due to the guidelines set by the Ugandan Government, Dark Hills Uganda shall operate all the tours following the Standards Operation Procedures (SOPs), we therefore would like to share with you some important updates from destinations Uganda.

 General measures

You will be required to have a negative Covid19 test result 120 hours before arrival and a negative Covid19 test result 120 hours before departure

Curfew in Uganda, starts at 9PM. After this time, you are not allowed to be outside, unless you are coming from or going to Entebbe airport. You’re obliged to wear face masks all the time for both the travelers and the driver/guide, unless you’re eating, drinking also when you’re in your rooms. We therefore advise you to travel with more than 2 reusable masks per person.

If you’re Flying to and via Kigali (Rwanda), you must present a negative PCR COVID-19 certificate performed within 72 hours of departure which means travelers must be tested and get results within 3 days of their first flight. Another (second) PCR test will be conducted upon arrival, with results delivered after 24 hours during which time they will remain in designated hotels at their own cost. COVID-19 Test is not mandatory for accompanied children under 5 years.
Also, all flight passengers will be required to fill in the Passenger Locator Form online in advance using the following link: https://travel.rbc.gov.rw/travel/

 For more information about Rwanda, you can visit these following links
 1. https://rbc.gov.rw/
 2. https://www.moh.gov.rw/


Dark Hills Uganda will do the following to ensure safety

 All driver/guides will undergo a Covid19 training focused on prevention,
 recognizing symptoms, and procedures.

 Guides/drivers will be required to regularly wash hands

 Face masks required for travelers in public areas

 Face masks required for guides/drivers in public areas

 Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff

 Regular temperature checks for staff

 Temperature checks for tour participants upon arrival

 Transportation vehicles will be regularly sanitized

 Social distancing enforced throughout experience

 A non-contact thermometer will be available in each vehicle.

 All passengers, including the driver/guide, will screen their temperature daily
 before the start of activities.

 Dark Hills Uganda may revise itineraries in order to ensure social distancing and to minimize direct contact with local communities.

During Primate tracking & other tours

All boat safaris, private and shared, will be operated on half capacity

Gorilla tracking will be done in a maximum group size of 8 persons

Chimpanzee tracking will be done in a maximum group size of 6 persons

The distance trackers will have to keep from primates is increased from 7 to 10 meters to ensure the safety of the primates

A fresh mask shall be used when approaching the primates

Your hands must be sanitized when approaching the primates


What can you do as a traveler to ensure safety?

Follow the instructions given by your driver/guide and by rangers.

Follow the guidelines given by your accommodations.

Wear your mask and wash or sanitize your hands frequently.

Optionally, get extra insurance coverage for air evacuation through AMREF: https://flydoc.org/

Always check with your airline and with the airports you will travel through,
 if additional health and safety precautions are required

For information and the most recent updates about the COVID19 status in Uganda, visit the Ministry of Health Uganda Website: https://www.health.go.ug

FAQs

On arrival, you will need to provide a negative COVID-19 test dated no more than 72 hours before their arrival into Uganda. Same applies to outbound. A covid-19 test for exiting travelers can be done at a number of hospitals in Kampala & Entebbe with results given within 8-24 hours at about $65.

After finishing with immigration and health desk, your driver or Uganda tour manager will have to ensure that you proceed directly to your place of stay and do not mix with Ugandans.

There will be no requirement to self-isolate on arrival. If found with coronavirus symptoms however, you’ll be isolated, handed over to health officials and taken to a designated place for treatment.

Ugandan nationals who arrive with a negative COVID-19 test will be allowed to proceed straight to their homes. It is not yet clear whether they will be required to self-isolate at home for 14 days or not.

Uganda or East Africa Visa can be gotten at entry point but to avoid contact, please process your online at visas.immigration.go.ug. You’ll need a six months valid passport and yellow fever vaccination certificate to be allowed entry.

We recommend all travelers, both domestic and international, get a COVID-19 viral test 1-3 days before travel.

Yes, all travelers shall present an authentic and valid COVID-19 diagnostic test certificate issued within 72 hours before entry or exit.

Not if you have a PCR Negative Test Certificate and don’t show primary symptoms of Coronavirus. Additionally, all arriving travelers will be subjected to simple COVID-19 testing like temperature check and others considering the check-in agent’s recommendation. 

Yes, you’ll still need a Negative PCR Test Certificate to be allowed entry into Uganda. This is because WHO maintains that there’s no evidence that any of the current Covid-19 vaccines can completely stop people from being infected

The COVID-19 test required for entry into Uganda is known as the Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) COVID-19 test. Travelers shall present a negative RT-PCR COVID-19 Test Certificate upon arrival and before departure.

Yes! After processing with immigration and Covid procedures, travelers will proceed to the designated area to transfers and taxis on arrival at Entebbe Airport. Your Uganda safari trip operator will transport you straight to your hotel, or your hotel concierge picks you up.

Yes, it is safe to see the primates in Uganda. Gorilla trekking and chimpanzee tracking permits are issued by UWA, allowing anyone to be escorted into the gorilla jungles by rangers and trackers. Mountain gorillas and chimpanzees are a jewel of Uganda and guarded jealously by the conservation office, which has strict guidelines for seeing them. You must have your facemask on, keep a reasonable distance of 10 meters from the primates and observe other regular operating procedures to protect you and the animals.

Yes, national parks in Uganda are open for tourism since September 2020. Under the management of UWA, national parks allow residents and foreign non-residents to enter and see the animals with strict operating procedures. Some of the most important procedures include mandatory wearing of facemasks, regular hand sanitization, keeping ten meters away from the animals, not feeding the animals, no sedans, and overcrowded vehicles in the park, among other SOPs

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