President Museveni flanked by First Lady Janet Museveni in Rwakitura Friday
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Friday announced that the country is fully reopening its economy but with conditions as the number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise.
Museveni, in his End of Year address broadcast live, said the transport sector is fully reopened with public service vehicles allowed to carry passengers to the required capacity. He however said all passengers must wear face masks and follow the preventive measures of COVID-19.
Museveni said schools will reopen starting Jan. 10, 2022 and students who are 18 and older are supposed to be vaccinated. Schools have been closed for nearly two years because of the pandemic.
The president said entertainment centers, cinema halls, bars, performing arts and sports arenas are reopened but the revelers must follow the Standard Operating Procedures of preventing COVID-19. He however noted that these centers would be opened two weeks after schools reopen.
He said the night curfew which has been in place would be lifted after the entertainment centers reopen. He however noted that night curfew would still apply to boda bodas, or passenger service motorcycles.
Museveni said some sectors would be closed again if the number of COVID-19 cases continues growing. He said once 50 percent of the country’s Intensive Care Units and High Dependence Units are covered, parts of the economy will be closed.
“Although we are opening the economy, the new variant is spreading very fast,” he said. Ministry of Health figures show that the infection rate of Omicron has gone up with over 1,000 registered daily over the last several days.
Ministry figures show that results of COVID-19 tests done on Dec. 29 confirmed 1,658 new cases, bringing the cumulative confirmed cases to 140,737 since the outbreak in March 2020.
Museveni urged the public to take personal responsibility of preventing the spread of the pandemic.
He said some of his personnel have on several occasions tested positive for COVID-19 because of their laxity in following the preventive measures. He said this has forced him to take several tests which have fortunately turned negative.