Kigali will tomorrow enter a new total lockdown, the second of its kind after the one that covered March and April 2020.
The decision was taken this afternoon by the cabinet meeting following a surge of new COVID-19 cases and deaths which doubled in the last 5o days.
The deaths increased to 146 and the cumulative number of cases, 11,259.
In the evening news, Ministers of local government, health, and the police spokesperson said that the country is ready to make sure that life continues during the total lockdown.
From the past experience, people who put food on the table only when they work on a daily basis suffered the total lockdown because they were short of supply.
Prof. Anastase Shyaka of the local government assured Kigali community that the country is ready to support the most vulnerable.
“We shall make sure that the most vulnerable are catered for. We should fear COVID-19 more than fear for short supply of food,” Shyaka said adding that the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal resources and other partners are working together that the situation is under control.
On his side, the Minister of Health assured Rwandans, that the medical team is working hard to defy the pandemic.
“We had opened a new COVID-19 treatment center which will deal with critical cases, adding on several other centers like Kanyiya and Gatenga in city of Kigali. We are working hard to reverse the trend,” Dr. Daniel Ngamije said while condemning behaviors of people who loosened in preventive measures since November.
He said some organised house parties among other social events that accelerated the spread of COVID-19 especially in the capital Kigali.
“This lockdown not only intends to remind people to desist ignoring preventive measures but also curb the spread,” Dr. Ngamije said.
Ngamije further said, that the country has ordered medicines that reduce COVID-19 virulence and the medicines could reach the country on Wednesday – January 20th.
“We have increased a team of specialists who come to support the existing team as we manage the cases,” Ngamije said.
Meanwhile, Rwanda has already installed five special fridges among other medical equipments that are ready to receive COVID-19 vaccine doses which can be supplied to the country “any time soon”.
“I cannot tell exactly when, but you should understand that the vaccine will be supplied to us anytime soon,” said Minister Ngamije.
“We are among the two countries in Africa that are ready for the vaccine,” the Minister said without mentioning the other country.
