05 Feb

Ugandan schools and higher education institutions will reopen on March 1 with strict adherence to COVID-19 prevention measures, President Yoweri Museveni said Thursday.

Schools will reopen for 1.7 million semi-candidate class learners and all tertiary and university students in a phased manner, Museveni said in a televised address.

The reopening of schools will be in sync with the vaccination of teachers, health workers, security personnel and the elderly, Museveni said.

"We are preparing to start vaccination in March. We are going to receive 3.5 million vaccines from COVAX facility. We are also arranging to bring vaccines from India, about 18 million doses to vaccinate 9 million people," he said.

In March last year, the country closed all schools and education institutions to curb the spread of COVID-19.

As of Wednesday, Uganda registered 39,735 cases of COVID-19, with 14,310 recoveries and 327 deaths, according to the ministry of health.

xinhua