After over two years of staying home, the president of Uganda has directed schools to reopen early next year.
Speaking to the nation on the progress of the covid 19 response Wednesday night, the president said that it was advisable to first vaccinate the students then reopen schools because most of them are below 18 and act as carriers for the virus.
“Many of the 15 million learners are day scholars who once infected, go back home and infect thier parents and grandparents That may subsequently die”. He said
“To avoid a similar scenario, the national task force , on several occasions considered conditions for safe reopening of schools which included vaccination of teachers, non teaching staff, 330,000 students aged 18 years and above”. He added in part.
Museveni said that while post secondary institutions of learning can open with effect from November 1st 2021 after vaccinating of all school staff, the rest of the learning institutions will open next year.
“The 330,000 students aged 18 years and above in post secondary institutions should be vaccinated as soon as possible. The rest of the learning institutions will open in january 2022”. He directed.
According to Museveni, out of 550,000 teachers targeted, only 269,945 have already received the 1st dose of vaccination while 96,653 have revived the second dose leaving a total of 280,055 not yet vaccinated at all.
