11 Watoto Children's Choir Members Test Positive for COVID-19

Eleven members of a Christian musical group, Watoto Children’s Choir have tested positive for coronavirus disease, President Yoweri Museveni has said.

In his televised address to the nation on Tuesday evening, Museveni said Uganda Virus Research Institute [UVRI] had tested 176 people and 11 were found positive.

“All these were children of the Watoto choir who are still in quarantine. They picked it from outside where they had gone,” Museveni said.  

The group has been in quarantine since their return from Canada where they had planned to stage performances. While in quarantine, Pastor Julius Rwotlonyo, the associate team leader at Watoto Church announced that one of the adult members of the choir had tested positive for COVID-19.

The 11 new cases bring to 44, the numbers of confirmed coronavirus cases in Uganda, and to 12, the number of Watoto Children’s Choir members who have tested positive for COVID-19.

Museveni’s address followed that of Monday, which left many people wondering about the ambiguities of his directives.

He used the address to clarify on a number of issues part of, which included that his government wasn’t considering mass testing of Ugandans reasoning that this was very expensive.

“Mass testing is very expensive and also meaningless because you will be tested today and tomorrow you get the disease. Each test is 65 dollars by the time you test 40million people, how much money will you have spent?  It’s better to taste only [those] with signs,” Museveni said.   

Museveni also issued a warning to cultural leaders to stop misinforming the people about the authenticity of coronavirus. This follows a report from Acholi that some cultural leaders are saying the country was suffering from spirits.   

“Tell those leaders to stop that, I don’t want to put in jail cultural leaders but when you try to oppose science we shall go for you. Nobody should go around saying this is a spirit this is a disease. My people will have to talk to Rwot Achan the head of the Acholi to tell his people to stop that,” Museveni said.