KAMPALA – Schools in Uganda completely reopened their doors this morning, almost two years after the coronavirus pandemic began. Uganda has been one of the longest closures in the world since the virus forced governments to close learning institutions in March 2020.
Last Friday the president of Uganda Yoweri Museveni had announced its intention to revoke the containment measures of Covid-19 in force since March 2020, including the reopening of schools, bars and nightclubs, citing the increase in vaccination rates. The East African nation has imposed some of Africa’s toughest restrictions. Some measures were relaxed in September, including the possibility of resuming education for universities and other post-secondary institutions. In a televised speech Friday evening, Museveni announced the reopening of preschool, primary and secondary schools for January 10.
Bars and nightclubs will reopen and the night curfew will be lifted two weeks after schools resume, he added. Cinemas and sporting events would also be allowed to reopen, he said, without providing further details. As of Friday, Uganda had recorded about 137,000 confirmed cases and nearly 3,300 deaths. The president urged Ugandans to get vaccinated as a “first solution” to Covid-19.
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