Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary will be reopening for business on 1st October, 2020.
Operations at Ngamba Island were suspended in March when President Yoweri Museveni imposed a lockdown on Uganda as one of the ways of controlling the spread of Covid-19. But in a phased manner, the President recently lifted the suspension on most economic activities such as tourism.
“The Management of Chimpanzee Trust wishes to inform the public that after consultations with various stakeholders and putting in place Standard Operating Procedures for the containment of the possible spread of COVID-19 to chimpanzees, we are now open for tourism at Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, starting October 1st 2020,” Ngamba Island management said in a statement early this week.
According to the sanctuary’s management, the tourism activities shall be undertaken in a manner that ensures
all guidelines set by the Ministry of Health are followed.
“Mandatory temperature screening using non-contact infrared thermometers on all boats heading to Ngamba Island. Mandatory hand washing / sanitizing at the entrances. Bags and equipment shall also be disinfected. Wearing a face mask while on the boat and at the sanctuary either N95 masks or surgical masks or double-layered cloth masks with filters, AT ALL TIMES. Observing social distance at all times,” the management noted.
“Government guidelines of carrying half capacity to observe social distance shall apply to all boats transporting visitors to Ngamba Island sanctuary not limited to sanctuary boats but also private boats. Visitors going to the sanctuary are encouraged to carry their hand sanitizer for extra safety. However, the management of the sanctuary shall avail handwashing and hand sanitization facilities at designated points at the sanctuary.”
The management also revealed that they have already set up an isolation centre for case management of guests that may present with signs of illness.
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