From today, until further notice, people arriving into Rwanda will have to go to designated hotels for 24 mandatory quarantine, the Ministry of health has directed.
This measure which is most likely to be followed by several others intends to prevent the outbreak of a new, severer and most contagious variant of COVID-19 that was confirmed in Southern Africa recently.
The measure is taking effect since this Sunday at noon, replacing a decision of October 31 where fully vaccinated travelers would no longer be required to be quarantined at hotel upon arrival.
In Rwanda, the widespread feeling was that, apparently, the battle against COVID-19 was going smoothly with numbers-new cases and deaths, going down every now and then.
One main hospital that was dedicated to COVID-19 treatment in Nyarugenge district-capital Kigali was closed a couple of weeks ago when the last patient was discharged.
These factors translated into some relaxation of measures. However, the Ministry of health has strongly recommended that the general public be even more vigilant.
They recalled the need to wear face mask, keeping social distance, avoiding unnecessarily gatherings among others.
“These measures are being taken to limit the spread of a new variant and to protect the gains Rwanda has made so far in managing COVID-19 pandemic and reopening the economy,” the Ministry of Health said in a communique.
Since late October, private and public businesses are operating at full capacity.
In Rwanda, 5.9 million people have received the first jab of COVID-19 while another 3.4 million received the second and last jab so far.
The pandemic has cost life of 1342 people, but figures seem to indicate that the country is doing well.
In the last seven days, Rwanda recorded two fatalities. Furthermore, 2 people were admitted, but none has emergency case.
The Ministry warned that “additional measures will be taken in the coming days.”
