With less than two weeks to the official date for closure of term three, police has urged schools countrywide to ensure safety of its learners as they return home.
“As announced by the education ministry on the closing of term three for holidays on 25th Nov 2022, this is a reminder to all school administrators to ensure that all school vans are in a good condition as they transport children back home for holidays,” Faridah Nampiima the Public Relations Officer, Uganda Traffic Police said.
The remarks come days after the government last week directed all schools and learning institutions to break off for holidays on 25 November 2022 following a surge in Ebola infections.
“Pre-primary, Primary and Secondary schools are set to close for third term holidays on 25/11/22 due to the Ebola outbreak,” a statement from the Ministry read on Tuesday last week.
The ministry said this was done to minimize the risk of Ebola transmission because school communities have potentially proven to be contributing factors.
Ebola updates as of November 6 indicate a cumulative total of 135 confirmed cases have been registered since the onset of the virus with 53 deaths and 62 recoveries in nine districts categorized as very high risk.
A cumulative total of 23 children have so far been confirmed to have the virus with nine deaths.
Out of the affected children, a total of 11 children including five in Kampala, one in each of Mubende and Wakiso were school going at the time of onset of Ebola symptoms in five schools across the affected districts.