Uganda reopens economy after nearly 2 years

By Godfrey Olukya

KAMPALA, Uganda (AA) - Uganda on Monday fully opened its economy for business after nearly two years of pandemic-related lockdown.

In an interview on Sunday, President Yoweri Museveni said: "Entertainment, bars, discos, cinemas and other sectors that have not been operating due to COVID19 pandemic will be fully reopened tomorrow."

He said the government has administered 12.43 million vaccine doses so far to its adult population.

The news was welcomed throughout the country, and happy residents headed in droves to bars, cinemas and nightclubs after midnight.

Denis Lwasa, a bar owner, told Anadolu Agency: "We are very happy because we have now started working. It has not been easy to be out of business for almost two years."

Two weeks ago schools across the country reopened. During that period, 600,000 teenage girls got pregnant in the country, according to the UN report, risking their return to school.

So far, Uganda has reported 160,352 cases and 3,474 deaths.