Kigali came out of its latest lockdown on Monday, February 8, ending a three-week ‘stay-at-home’ order that sought to help contain a spike in Covid-19 infections. The capital city returned to lockdown, which was initially meant to last for about two weeks, mid last month, before it was extended by five days. It later emerged that the stay-at-home restrictions had resulted in a 72 per cent fall in new confirmed cases, another proof that following science and advice of medical experts remains the most reliable and safe way to respond to this deadly pandemic. That was only one of the pieces of good news related to the country’s fight against the virus that emerged this week, along with reports that the government was on course to securing millions of Covid-19 vaccine doses through an African Union initiative. Rwanda will receive up to 2.6 million doses under the African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team framework in addition to over 1.1 million doses set to be acquired through other arrangements, particularly the Covax facility. Other positive developments that made headlines this week include the rollout of pulse oximeters designed to help detect Covid-19 patients with low levels of oxygen. Officials say the fingertip devices, which have already been distributed to 73 cells in Gasabo District, will serve patients under home-based care. By detecting oxygen deficiency on time, the patient is able to be evacuated to a health facility for urgent attention, thereby potentially saving their life. Also, the government on Tuesday deployed additional robots in the battle against the novel coronavirus, with the three cutting-edge THOR UVC robots designed to clean and disinfect surfaces. They will come in handy at treatment centres and places of mass gatherings with a view to limit the spread of the virus. Meanwhile, it was also reported this week that Favipiravir, a drug which the country began using recently in treating Covid-19 patients was having a positive impact on mild cases. This means the drug is helping prevent severe disease. These developments are a result of hard work on the part of the government as it seeks to contain the virus, save lives and accelerate our return to a semblance of normalcy. Nonetheless, it is still the citizens with the final say in this fight. All you are required to do is to respect all safety protocols put in place at the national and local levels to help slow the spread of the pandemic. By washing your hands or sanitising regularly, social distancing, properly wearing your mask and respecting other guidelines like curfew hours, you are making a significant contribution in this battle. Let us all continue to be vigilant and compliant, especially as the City of Kigali and the rest of the country continue to gradually reopen.
