Four new cases announced by the Ministry of Health on Tuesday have pushed the number of positive New Coronavirus cases to 40.
The Ministry said the identified cases include two travellers from Dubai, UAE, one traveller who arrived from Brussels, Belgium and one person who got in contact with a previously confirmed COVID-19 case, identified through tracing.
“The recent travellers were automatically placed in isolation upon arrival and tested,” the Ministry said, adding that “all patients are under treatment in stable condition, isolated from other patients.
The Ministry has also said that the tracing of all contacts has been conducted for further management, adding that heightened vigilance continues to be required.
The enhanced prevention measures announced by the Government of Rwanda must be rigorously observed,” the Ministry further said.
The four new cases follow another 17 cases of New Coronavirus announced on Monday, 9 of whom came from Dubai.
Dubai which has since stopped all flights coming in and out of the country, has been a source of most COVID -19 cases on the African continent, majority of the positive cases coming from or transiting through Dubai.
The news of four more cases came at the time the Minister of Health Dr Daniel Ngamije, said that the first case of COVID-19, an Indian man who was confirmed on March 14, was recovering well and likely to be discharged soon with his spouse.
Appearing on KT Radio on Tuesday evening, the Minister of Local Government Prof. Anastase Shyaka said that the government will continue to enforce the 15-day lockdown in a bid to rein in the spread of the virus which continues to wreak havoc on many countries across the world.
“Our focus right now is to protect Rwandans from New Coronavirus. Let us not despair. We know it will impact us as a people and affect the economy but we will overcome. Let us have the resilience to overcome COVID-19, we have overcome much worse problems in the past, this too shall pass,” Shyaka said.
Prof. Shyaka reiterated that the measures which were announced by the Prime Minister Dr Edouard Ngirente on Saturday are aimed at safeguarding people from further spread of the virus.
“These measures are not aimed at making life difficult for citizens. They were put in place to protect them from the New Coronavirus,”
“We put in place means to ensure that people can continue to buy food and other basic goods they need but this has to be done in an organised and safe manner that does not expose people to possible danger,”
Minister Shyaka said that agriculture and vital business and services that people need will continue to be provided in a cautious manner but warned traders against taking advantage of the situation to illegally increase prices.
“All agriculture related and food production activities have not been stopped. Rwandans must continue to have access to food, what we have warned against is the illegal increase of prices to rip off people during this period,”
“Nobody should take advantage of Rwandans” he said.
New Coronavirus has so far claimed 18, 580 lives globally while another 416, 774 have been infected. Countries like
Italy and Spain continue to bear the brunt of the virus. By press time, Italy had recorded 743 new deaths while Spain registered 489 new deaths on Tuesday.
