Uganda: Students back to school, university in March

KAMPALA, Uganda

Uganda will resume some more school classes and start reopening universities in March, the country’s president announced on Thursday night.

Students of semi-candidate classes – Primary 6, Senior 3, and Senior 5 – will be back in school starting March 1, President Yoweri Museveni said in a televised address.

Universities and other tertiary education institutes will reopen next month in a staggered manner, while the 2020 academic year will end this July, he added.

Uganda closed all academic institutes last March after a COVID-19 outbreak started in the country, resuming some school classes in October.

With the country still grappling with a spike in virus cases, Museveni said a decision for other lower classes will be taken down the line.

He urged students and administrations to strictly follow all COVID-19 standard operating procedures.

On the country’s immunization efforts, Museveni said Uganda is due to receive shipments of vaccines soon.

“We are preparing to start vaccinations by the end of February or early March. We shall start with health workers, security personnel, teachers, and then the elders,” he said.

Uganda’s COVID-19 case count currently stands at 39,735, including 14,310 recoveries and 327 deaths.