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Ugandan entertainment industry to remain closed amid new Covid variants

Monday, April 19th, 2021 00:00 | By
Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni (second left) and Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan (left) during Hassan’s one-day visit at State House in Entebbe, Uganda. Photo/AFP

Kampala, Sunday

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has demanded that the entertainment industry in the east African country will remain closed in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19 amid the discovery of new variants.

In a televised address to the nation late Friday, President Museveni said the bars, discos and concerts will remain banned until the government vaccinates at least 5.5 million elderly and people with underlying medical conditions with coronavirus vaccines.”

On bars, discos, beaches and performing arts and concerts, these sectors many of which are associated with drunkards and super spreader effects shall remain closed until the country attains a threshold level of vaccination,” said Museveni.

“If 80 percent of these 3.5 million elderly and about 2 million people under 50 but with underlying commodities that place them at risk of severe Covid-19 disease are immunized, then we can say okay, we can relax a bit.”

The president urged artists to perform online and embrace digital evolution after the discovery of the highly transmissible Covid-19 variants which were reported first in Britain, South African and Nigeria.”

I have instructed the minister of finance and economic development to financially support the actualization of online platforms for performing artists to embrace digital revolution. Artists can perform online through the internet,” said Museveni.

The president appealed to the citizens to get vaccinated following hesitancy for inoculation in the ongoing nationwide Covid-19 vaccination campaign exercise, launched on March 10 in the east African country.

Since the start of the Covid-19 vaccination campaign, a total of 220,893 people had been vaccinated by Friday.  - XINHUA

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