Uganda Steps Up Virus Response With Vaccines, Increased Testing

(Bloomberg) -- Uganda submitted a request for sufficient vaccines to inoculate 9 million people as it scales up its coronavirus response with increased testing and additional intensive care beds.

The request has been approved and the shots should arrive in April or May, according to a government statement on Thursday, which didn’t provide details on the provenance of the vaccines. People aged 50 or above and those with underlying health conditions will get priority.

Earlier this month, the East African nation said it expected vaccines from the Covax program and that it was seeking more from AstraZeneca Plc.

Cases nationwide have jumped 24% from December, with the capital, Kampala, accounting for 48% of all infections and deaths. The government plans to borrow $31.6 million from the African Development Fund to add laboratories, testing centers and protective equipment, and mitigate the impact of the pandemic, according to the statement.

©2021 Bloomberg L.P.