KIU, Main Campus - While addressing the nation on 13th April 2020 about the state of the COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda, H. E. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni advised the youth to stay at home and avoid loitering in trading centres because it may expose them to the virus.

‘’Youth stop going into trading centres to loiter. Be in the gardens with your parents. This is a season for planting. What are you doing in the trading centres?”

“We shall defeat the virus by protecting our people from the rapid spread. We do not want what happened in some other countries to happen here. Hence, the shutdown. However, even in the shutdown, some activities must continue such as work on the farms to produce crops for food and cash,” Museveni said.

This has come at a time when most schools have closed due to the pandemic. According to UNESCO, at least 165 countries have closed schools globally and more than 516,000 million children and youth are affected. In Uganda, more than 73,000 schools and institutions closed.

The President added that given the success Uganda has achieved and the challenges that remain, the government decided to keep the stay -home decision for another 21 days, starting on the 15th of April up to the 5th of May, 2020. This is so as to study the situation for a longer period. 

He added that all measures that were previously announced, will stay in place for another 21 days as this will help the country to defeat the virus.

However, the president applauded Ugandans for cooperating and supporting the tough measures that the government has been announcing ever since 18th March 2020.

Uganda has so far confirmed 55 cases, eight recoveries and zero deaths.