Rwanda has moved to eliminate the interactions that truck drivers from outside the country may have with local communities while enroute to their destination. Trucks shipping cargo into Rwanda are some of the very few vehicles allowed to enter the country following a nationwide lockdown to stop the spread of coronavirus. For about three weeks now, Rwanda’s borders with neighbouring countries remain closed to visitors as part of the measures to contain the virus spread. Cargo trucks continue to operate in order to facilitate the flow of goods between countries, but under a number of restrictive measures. Speaking to The New Times, Drocella Mukashyaka, the Deputy Commissioner in Charge of Taxpayer Services at Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA), said there is a high level national task force chaired by the Ministry of local Government and Ministry of Health working on a surveillance mechanism to monitor the truck drivers’ health and behaviour enroute to their destinations so that they don’t interact with the community. The mechanism also makes room for officials to monitor the drivers’ health as they return to the areas where their journey commenced. Rwanda among other East African countries has for some time been implementing the electronic cargo tracking system, a technology-based system that allows customs officers to monitor trucks as they travel. Mukashyaka also said that screening teams are stationed at the borders working for 24 hours, among the various protective measures which include provision of hygiene facilities like water and soap. “Officers working at the border put on protective gear like masks, gloves and practice social distancing,” she said. “In the event the crew is found to be at high risk or shows signs of COVID-19, he is taken to a health facility for further management. The truck is disinfected before continuing to the final destination.” Among added measures, the entire truck crew does not exceed 3 persons, and human contact has been reduced by using information technology, where most of the client requests are handled online. Rwanda has 138 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Of these, 60 have recovered, and no death has been registered.
