Uganda's parliament will shut its doors for a fortnight after 160 people, including 14 lawmakers, who accessed its premises tested positive for the coronavirus.

The temporary closing of the parliamentary buildings from June 28 comes after a busy past month for the legislature, during which it elected new House leadership and hosted the president's state-of-the nation address and the budget presentation.

Uganda is battling a new wave of COVID-19 infections, having confirmed 73,401 cases and 714 deaths as of Tuesday. The East African nation of approximately 43 million people has more than 500 lawmakers and the parliamentary premises host at least 1,000 people daily.

"The closure of parliament for two weeks is a precautionary measure taken for the safety of everyone," according to a statement on the institution's Twitter account. The premises will be disinfected during the time.

(With input from agencies)