South Sudan had tested positive

Two Ugandan MPs have been arrested after leading a demonstration calling for the closure of the border with South Sudan in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus, Daily Monitor newspaper reports.

Gilbert Olanya and Samuel Odonga Otto want the Elegu border post, in the northern province of Gulu, to be closed because of the increasing cases of lorry drivers arriving with coronavirus.

The two lawmakers are being held at Gulu central police station, the paper says.

Police spokesman Patrick Jimmy Okema is quoted as saying that the MPs were arrested for not seeking permission for their demonstration.

For more than a month, lorry drivers delivering cargo across East Africa have been tested for coronavirus at border posts.

Over the weekend, Health Minister Jane Aceng said about 50 truck drivers who had arrived from South Sudan had tested positive for Covid-19.

Uganda eased lockdown restrictions last week, allowing private cars back on to the roads and business premises to reopen.

The wearing of face masks is mandatory in public places and border crossings are closed except for cargo.

The country has so far confirmed 458 cases and no deaths, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).