Kigali under total lockdown amid third wave of Covid-19
Kigali, Rwanda’s capital city, has been placed under total lockdown for ten days, effective July 17 as the country battles a severe third wave of Covid-19.
A cabinet meeting chaired by President Paul Kagame yesterday announced the measures, banning non-essential movements in the capital and the districts of Gicumbi, Burera, Musanze, Kamonyi, Nyagatare, Rwamagana, Rubavu and Rutsiro.
“Given the rapid spike in Covid-19 cases, the emergence of new variants and increase of Covid-19-related deaths, the government has decided to further tighten the existing control measures,” the statement said.
In a communique issued stated that non-essential businesses, churches, schools and universities shall all close.
The rest of the country shall follow a 6pm-4am curfew and Inter-district movements are not permitted.
Churches outside Kigali will operate under the usual guidelines, while meetings will not exceed 30 per cent of venue capacity.
Weddings and ceremonies are not allowed.
Employees will work from home, public transport shall not operate, and movements are prohibited except for essential reasons.
Kigali residents have been urged to significantly reduce social interactions and limit movements only to essential activities.
The measures will lapse on July 26.
As of yesterday, Rwanda has 14,553 active coronavirus cases with a positive rate of 17.5 per cent, the highest since the pandemic began.
A total of 607 people have died as a result of the illness, with 74 others in critical condition.
Kigali was last put in total lockdown in January 2021 during a second wave of Covid-19 infections.
