WHO selects Uganda’s top lab for regional COVID-19 genomic sequencing

Ugandan health minister Ruth Aceng said Friday that the World Health Organization (WHO) has selected the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) as the center for COVID-19 genomic sequencing for east and central Africa.

Aceng made the announcement while updating the country on COVID-19 testing.

The UVRI, also an Africa Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) reference laboratory, will provide genetic information needed for the swift and effective control of COVID-19 and other emerging pathogens, according to a tweet by the laboratory.

The Africa CDC on Wednesday said the number of COVID-19 recoveries on the continent passed the 1 million mark for the first time.

It said the number of death related to pandemic stood at 30,065 across the continent as the number of confirmed cases rose to 1,260,400.