The Minister for Health, Dr. Daniel Ngamije said that a second test to determine the spread of delta variant will be conducted on those who tested positive for Covid during the course of Kigali mass testing exercise that kicked off Saturday, July 17. He said this at Kibagabaga testing site in Gasabo District on the first day of mass testing in Kigali piloted on sampled households in each cell of the capital. The mass testing was conducted using rapid test kits at designated sites in each sector across Kigali City. Earlier, officials had said that they target to test at least 15 per cent of people in Kigali. According to Ngamije, the same exercise was extended to eight districts under lockdown alongside Kigali. He said that the results will help in the assessment and will inform measures to be taken to curb the spread of the virus in the country. “This will give us an estimated number of active cases, the infected demographic, people with symptoms and the asymptomatic, and the infections per household. It will provide information for further measures to be taken.” Yvette Uwamahoro, the coordinator of the testing site in Gatenga Sector, observed that a significant number of selected people complied and reported on time, and those with positive cases will be followed upon during the lockdown period. “There is an assigned team is already in place and they will work together with community health workers who will follow up those who have tested positive on a daily basis.” Umutoni Gift whom The New Times found on Gatenga sector testing site said it’s good to know one’s status at the start of a lockdown. “I had symptoms which prompted me to come here, I can’t risk the lives of my children by being in a lockdown with them without knowing my actual status,” she said. Emmanuel Mushinzimana, a resident of Gatenga cell, commends the government’s effort to curb the pandemic, however, he said a lockdown might make it harder if one tests positive in terms of economy considering different demanding things needed to recover. Ancille Mugorewera, a grandmother at 80 who had come to test for Covid at Kibagabaga testing site, said you can’t trust that you are negative unless you are tested. “Even though I am old, I have to live until God decides otherwise,” she said, challenging old people with a resistant mindset who say they will die anyway. Ngamije also said that the overall results will be communicated after July 18th, the last day of mass testing. However, he said that at the end of this lockdown, another 15 per cent random sampling at cell level will be tested to assess the impact of the lockdown in terms of reduction of active cases and give a way forward with guidelines.
