COVID-19: Rwanda Lifts Major Restrictions

Rwanda has started easing restrictions put in place to control the spread of Coronavirus but kept schools, places of worship, gyms, bars and recreational centres closed.

According to a statement issued by Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente, public and private businesses will resume with essential staff while other employees continue working from home.

“Markets will open for essential workers not exceeding 50% of registered traders,” said the Premier on Thursday night.

Ngirente said manufacturing and construction sectors will open with essential workers while hotels and restaurants will operate but close by 7:00pm.

This came after an extraordinary Cabinet meeting chaired by President Paul Kagame at Urugwiro in Kigali on Thursday.

The meeting discussed the next steps in the fight against COVID19.

Rwanda this past Thursday registered 18 new cases of Coronavirus, bringing to 243 the total number of infections in the country.

“This reflects a rise in cases of cross-border truck drivers and their assistants,” said the Rwandan health ministry without providing details of the cases.

“All active cases are in isolation in stable condition.”

Kagame was quickly to put his country under a lockdown the the novel virus quickly spread like a wildfire in many parts of the world.