The pilot phase of a regional Covid-19 surveillance system for trucks and their crew starts today, Monday, June 15, before its full implementation next week, an official has told The New Times.

Towards the end of last month, East African Community partner states adopted the Regional Electronic Cargo and Drivers Tracking System that will be hosted at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.

This came after a consultative meeting chaired by President Paul Kagame on May 12 this year, brought together four East African Community (EAC) leaders and discussed regional efforts to tackle the COVID-19 that has ravaged the world.

At the time, the leaders directed concerned regional ministers to "finalise and adopt an EAC digital surveillance and tracking system for drivers and crew on COVID-19 for immediate use by partner states."

"Today (Monday) we are doing piloting and next week all goes live," Eng. Daniel Murenzi, the Principal Information Technology Officer at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania, said.

"The system delayed to be implemented immediately after the Ministers had approved the system to be used; this was because we had to first do direct integration to the national laboratories."

According to Murenzi, last week, a technical test was "done successfully."

"And now we are starting piloting this week since we have agreed with transporters. Also, we have finished purchasing equipment through support of Trademark EastAfrica that will be used for screening: these are tablets that will be having an application on."

Murenzi noted that each country has assigned a national focal person and "we are closely working together."

The new system is considered to be another valuable tool to help mitigate the disruption of domestic, regional and global supply chain systems serving the region.

The system will share truck driver’s information leveraging on that which is already managed and operated by Revenue Authorities in the region, and the existing health information systems in the six EAC countries.

The system will work in all EAC Partner States. It will be interlinked to EAC Ministries of Health and accredited laboratories for accurate information.

It will bring on board truck owners or companies so that information can be shared. In case a truck driver is tested positive in another country the system will notify the Ministry of Health of the driver's originating country.

The EAC is collaborating with Trademark East Africa in the development, implementation and operation of the surveillance system.

Explaining what they hope will be achieved, Patience Mutesi, TMEA country director, recently noted that lately, the new coronavirus has been spreading between countries largely through land borders which economies rely on for key supplies, thereby threatening trade.

 "We have also seen stigmatization of drivers across the region, and long queues of trucks at borders due to challenges in regulations that countries have imposed to control the spread of the virus," Mutesi said.

 This development is a positive step towards a regional response to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, she noted.

 "The system will help automate linkages at key nodes thus reducing the need for screening at every border. Implementing the drivers' tracking system will make ports, borders and critical supply chains safe for trade. This will also ensure timely access to critically required medicines, medical and protective equipment and most importantly ensure food security during this crisis," Mutesi said.

Truck drivers will need to upload the App on their phones and, Abdul Ndarubogoye, Chairperson of Rwanda Transporters Association (ATAR), told The New Times that they are ready to start.