COVID-19: Kigali Placed Under Total Lockdown

Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, has been placed under total lockdown for 15 days following a worrying surge in Covid-19 cases.

On Monday, January 18, Paul Kagame, the President of Rwanda, chaired a virtual cabinet meeting that approved resolutions of a previous meeting held on January 4th 2021

Rwanda is currently witnessing an acute rise in Coronavirus numbers with 46 per cent of the total cases and 60 per cent of Covid-19 fatalities having been recorded in the last 50 days, according to Health Minister Dr Daniel Ngamije. This has forced the cabinet to further tighten restrictions, including placing Kigali under a total lockdown.

The city has been placed under tough regulations. Unnecessary movements including visits outside home are prohibited. This however is except for essential services including medical and food and for the personnel performing such services.

Travel between Kigali and other provinces and districts of the country has been prohibited except for essential services and tourism. All employees both in public and private sectors shall work from home except for those who provide essential services.

Except for distribution and delivery services as well as those selling food, medicine, fuel, cleaning products and other essential goods who will only operate at 30% capacity, the rest of the businesses shall remain closed.

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Restaurants have been asked to only provide take away services as all schools and universities are closed. Places of worship have also been closed. 

The Kigali International Airport will remain open but arriving passengers must present a negative PCR taken within 120 hours prior to their first departure. Departing passengers must also present a negative PCR.

Tourism activity will continue in strict adherence with covid-19 health guidelines. The designated hotels for arriving passengers shall remain open. Farming will also continue for the ongoing agricultural season. Funeral gatherings should not exceed 15 persons.

For the rest of the country of Rwanda, movements are prohibited from 6pm to 4am and learning in schools shall continue while respecting the Covid-19 control measures. All bars and places of worship shall remain closed.

Information from the Rwanda Biomedical Centre indicates that Kigali accounts for 61 per cent of Covid-19 patients reported in the country since January 1.

Rwanda has so far reported 11,032 Covid-19 cases, from a total of 796,867 sample Covid-19 tests taken since March. A total of 142 patients have succumbed to the virus.

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