Rwandan capital under lockdown after COVID-19 spike

Rwandan authorities on Tuesday re-imposed a lockdown in the capital Kigali after a recent spike in new COVID-19 cases and related deaths.

Unnecessary movements are restricted except for essential services such as medical, grocery shopping, and banking among others, according to a government statement.

The Cabinet directed most public and private employees to work from home, with the new measures expected to be reviewed after 15 days.

While inter-districts public transport is restricted, most businesses are closed save those distributing and delivering essential services such as food, medicine, hygiene and cleaning products, and fuel. They are ordered to operate at 30% capacity, and close by 6 p.m. local time (1600 GMT).

Educational institutions and places of worship have also been shut with schools, both public and private, advised to revert to remote learning.

Tourism activities such as hotels, tour operations will continue to work in line with health guidelines.

The Kigali International Airport, the country’s main airport, however, will remain open with arriving travelers required to present a negative COVID-19 test taken within 120 hours prior to departure.

Designated hotels for arrivals will remain open in accordance with the COVID-19 prevention measures, whereas departing travelers must also present a negative COVID-19 result.

Majority of the new cases in recent days were registered in Kigali with health officials attributing it to complacency in observance of virus control measures.

A landlocked East African country, Rwanda has so far seen 11,259 cases and 146 related deaths.