Uganda has been declared officially free of the Ebola virus, ten weeks after the first cases were identified, according to africanews.com.

A total of 20 cases were confirmed in the country since May 15, when neighbouring DR Congo announced an outbreak of the disease. The World Health Organization recommends a 42-day period without new cases after the last patient is discharged before declaring a country Ebola-free — a milestone Uganda has now reached.

From the outset, Kampala maintained that all its cases were linked to the outbreak in the DRC’s eastern Ituri province, which borders Uganda. The first patients had entered the country from Congo before knowing they were infected.

Authorities acted quickly to prevent further transmission, cancelling large events, telling people to stop shaking hands, and suspending public transportation and flights between Uganda and Congo.

All known contacts with infected patients have been quarantined and subject to a 21-day follow-up without further evidence of transmission, Uganda’s Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

The situation in the DRC remains dire. More than 3,000 cases have been confirmed, including some 1,400 deaths, and the virus continues to spread there.