Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Wednesday eased anti-coronavirus restrictions amid declining infection numbers in the country, reported CGTN Africa.
“Places of worship can now open under strict guidelines like; limiting the number to 200 people and adhering to all other SOPs in place,” the Ugandan president announced during an update on the COVID-19 situation in Uganda on Wednesday.
The government has allowed Churches, mosques, and similar facilities to resume services but only under strict adherence to the country’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to avoid further spread of coronavirus.
Museveni announced the number of people allowed to attend weddings and other social events has been increased to 200, and gyms, casinos, gaming, and betting shops are now allowed to operate during the day and close by 6 pm.
The president however did not open schools saying that the number of people vaccinated is still too low and called upon authorities to ensure teachers are on the priority list for vaccination.
He said the 4.8 million priority population including teachers will first get vaccinated before reopening schools. Post-secondary institutions will get opened with effect from November 1, 2021, on the condition that all teachers and non-teaching staff are vaccinated. He said the rest of the learning institutions will open in January 2022. The curfew, however, still remains between 7 pm and 5 am and Boda Boda movement time ends at 6 pm.
The Ugandan president also called for inoculation of the priority groups including health workers, before some COVID-19 vaccines donated to the country expire. Notably, about 67,000 vaccines are slated to expire at the end of September.
According to Museveni, the government has more than 2.2. million doses of vaccine available at the National Medical Stores . About 11.9 million vaccines doses are expected to arrive in the country by the end of December.
