Uganda announces sweeping measures against coronavirus

By Hamza Kyeyune

KAMPALA, Uganda (AA) - Uganda announced sweeping restrictions across the country on Wednesday as part of preventive measures against the coronavirus outbreak.

President Yoweri Museveni announced closure of all schools, burial of those who die of the virus by state officials, and a ban on public gatherings.

"Almost 15 million young Ugandans attend schools. It is wise that we temporarily close these crowded spots for one month to avert the spread of this virus," he said.

The schools will be closed for a month starting Friday, he said.

Ugandans are restricted from leaving to or via high risk countries, which include Italy, China, the U.K. and Iran among others.

Uganda has not confirmed any case of coronavirus as yet, but is surrounded by countries with reported cases.

The virus emerged in Wuhan, China, last December, and has spread to at least 164 countries and territories around the globe, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

WHO has declared the outbreak a pandemic and its data showed there were over 194,000 confirmed cases and nearly 7,900 deaths around the world by Wednesday evening.

COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, is not fatal in all cases and a vast majority of patients do fully recover.