KAMPALA, Uganda

Villagers in Uganda were instructed by the president to avoid the capital city as part of measures against the novel coronavirus.

Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni late Saturday instructed people in rural villages not to go to the capital Kampala to avoid catching new variants of COVID-19 that have invaded the country in a new wave.

He said: "I have come to sound a warning that we are entering a dangerous phase. There are fewer COVID-19 (infections) in rural areas. It is now rampant in the city because people there neglect guidelines meant to fight it. People in villages should not go to Kampala.’’

The new variants of COVID-19 include those from South Africa, India, UK, and Nigeria, noted Museveni, saying they are more dangerous and mostly affect young people. He said unlike in the past where mostly old people were infected, this time children and young people are hit the most.

"We are heading to situations like in the US, Italy, and India where high numbers of people have died from COVID-19," he said.

He also shared the latest figures on the pandemic, with 46,623 people so far infected, 43,401 treated, and 362 died.