Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni is recovering after a “strong” face mask he wore on his trip to Tanzania more than a week ago made him lose his voice.

Mr Museveni said that while face masks protect people against the coronavirus, he “had to put on a very strong one” in Tanzania and “when I came back my voice was affected”.

He did not elaborate, but it led to him calling off a trip to Jinja district in eastern Uganda on Saturday. He sent Vice-President Edward Ssekandi instead.

Tanzania’s President John Magufuli has played down the threat posed by the disease, and has previously said that the country is “coronavirus-free” and God has “spared” it from the virus.

When he welcomed Mr Museveni to the country, Mr Magufuli did not wear a face covering. He had guests laughing when he quoted the Ugandan president as telling him that he would be wearing a mask and he replied that “you can even come with a blanket”.

The two leaders signed an agreement allowing for the construction of a 1,445 km (898 miles) crude oil pipeline.

The $3.5bn (£2.7m) project will connect Uganda’s oil fields to Tanzania’s port of Tanga.