Uganda closes schools for 42 days in new Covid-19 guidelines

President Museveni directed all schools to be closed for 42 days after the country recorded its highest number of new infections in a day. [Courtesy]

The Ugandan government has suspended all gatherings for the next 42 days effective 8 am Monday, June 7, owing to the resurgence of the Covid-19 infections.

The ban on physical gatherings imposed yesterday includes learning institutions, places of worship, the public transport sector, social events and auction meetings.

However, the sitting of the Cabinet, Legislature and Judiciary will not be affected, the president said.

In his status of the pandemic address on Sunday, June 6, President Yoweri Museveni directed all teachers to be fully vaccinated before they are accepted back into schools.

“On June 4, 2021, the country registered the highest number of cases in a single day; 1,259 cases out of 7,424 tests done. This is a 17% Positivity Rate,” Museveni said.

“There has been an upsurge in case patients since end March 2021 following a 3-month period (January, February, March 2021) of controlling the epidemic,” he went on.

Uganda’s head of state has also directed all businesses to be closed by 7 pm except pharmacies

Although Museveni imposed new and stricter measures to curb the spread of the virus, the dusk to dawn curfew was not adjusted. The curfew runs from 9 pm to 5 am.

As of June 6, the East African country had reported 52,929 cumulative cases, 43,487 recoveries and 374 fatalities.

Currently, Uganda has 634 active cases: 277 are severe, as the other 37 are critical. They are admitted at both public and 3 private facilities in the country.