Government will re-open the economy in a phased manner

By; Jjunju Francis

29^th July 2021

The Minister of Health Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng has said that the challenges in accessing vaccines will not affect the country’s re-opening plans.

The country went into a 42 day lockdown announced by President Yoweri Museveni on June 18, 2021 to control the spread of the Coronavirus in the second wave.

While meeting with the Parliamentary Covid-19 response task force team Dr. Aceng, said the country will go for a phased re-opening plan like it was done in the first wave, there was a phased reopening before the country started the vaccination exercise.

The health ministry earlier set a target of vaccinating at least 50 percent of the population before fully reopening the country; however Dr. Aceng said that with the scarcity of vaccines at the global market, the country cannot sit and wait for this target to be achieved.

President Museveni had earlier said the country will fully open when at least 5 million Ugandans are vaccinated. Later health experts said the country needs to vaccinate 22 million people but of late health ministry data indicates that the country has vaccinated only 1,135,916 people.

President Museveni is slated to address the country on Friday 30, 2021 at around 8pm after the 42 day lockdown period elapses.