Kampala, Uganda — The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health Dr Diana Atwine has confirmed that President Yoweri Museveni has tested positive for Covid-19,
"Today June 7, 2023 H.E The President tested positive for covid-19 . This was after developing mild flue -like symptoms. However he is in robust heath and continues to perform his duties normally while adhering to SOPs ," she stated.
President Yoweri Museveni had earlier told Members of Parliament that one of the three Covid-19 tests he undertook on Wednesday morning returned positive.
The President made the revelation at the end of his State of the Nation Address to Parliament at Kololo Independence Grounds.
"In the morning I was feeling as if I have a slight cold, so I called my medical team to check Corona. They took samples as usual...there is what they call a rapid one, that one was negative...then there are two which go for deep analysis, one was negative, the other one was positive," Museveni said.
He further explained that this was the reason he traveled to Kololo in separate cars with the First Lady, Janet Kataha Museveni.
"I said Mama please use your car...but since I am here I will not infect you, there is a big distance here, so we shall sort out that little issue," he added.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared an end to COVID-19 as a public health emergency, but stressed that it does not mean the disease is no longer a global threat.
This announcement came more than three years after WHO declared the outbreak of the novel coronavirus a global health emergency.
According to WHO's Coronavirus Dashboard, as of 10 May 2023, the cumulative COVID-19 cases worldwide approach 766 million. Nearly 7 million deaths from the disease have been reported.
In a statement, Tedros Adhanom, the WHO Director-General noted that for over 12 months the pandemic "has been on a downward trend."
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Immunity has increased, death rates have dropped, and the pressure on health systems has eased, he said.
Before the State of the Nation Address on Wednesday, Leader of Opposition Mathias Mpuuga asked lawmakers to boycott the event by President Yoweri Museveni saying that the event is a waste of taxpayers' money partly through the expenditure on Covid-19 tests.
Mpuuga said that the President continues to waste public resources on COVID tests whenever he meets people both at his home and in other parts of the country and that the Address alone was expected to attract at least 20,000 people including MPs, heads of Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, security officers, and journalists among others, who were all subjected to tests.
It is estimated that the State of the Nation Address event will cost at least three billion Shillings of taxpayers' money, yet the Budget Speech, which is taking place a week later will cost the taxpayer another three billion Shillings in mandatory COVID-19 tests.
Mpuuga's criticism was hinged on the fact that the World Health Organization (WHO) had declared an end to COVID-19 as a global health emergency.
