Uganda is set to close schools within the course of the month of November, after 23 Ebola cases were confirmed among pupils, among them 8 deaths.
Janet Museveni, first lady of Uganda who is also the minister for Education said there had been cases in five schools in the capital Kampala, as well as the neighboring Wakiso district and Mubende, the epicentre of the outbreak.
The cabinet agreed to close pre-primary, primary and secondary schools from November 25, two weeks before the scheduled end of term.
“Closing schools earlier will reduce areas of concentration where children are in daily close contact with fellow children, teachers and other staff who could potentially spread the virus,” Janet said.
Since the outbreak was declared in Mubende on September 20, the disease has spread across the East African nation, including to the capital Kampala.
Uganda president Yoweri Museveni had said there was no need for a national wide lockdown, although he extended a three-week lockdown on Mubende and neighboring Kassanda, the two central districts where Ebola started, which has claimed more than 50 lives.
Also Read: Uganda: Museveni Rules Out National Lockdown Despite Rise in Ebola Cases.
The World Health Organization (WHO) last week said Uganda had registered over 150 confirmed and probable cases, including 64 fatalities.
The strain now circulating in Uganda is known as the Sudan Ebola virus, for which there is currently no vaccine.
Ebola spreads through bodily fluids, with common symptoms being fever, vomiting, bleeding, and diarrhea.