The Government during cabinet meeting, on Wednesday September 1, issued tight Covid-19 prevention measures for the districts of Burera, Gicumbi, Kirehe, Ngoma, Nyagatare, Nyamasheke, Nyaruguru, and Rwamagana. The curfew hours in these districts are to be enforced between 8pm and 4am, while businesses must close by 7pm due to high Covid-19 positivity rate. According to Jean Marie Vianney Gatabazi, the Minister of Local Government, all these districts account for a prevalence of an average 7 per cent of Covid-19 cases in the country. “Health report has shown that some of these districts have many cases including Nyagatare that recorded 17.8 per cent, Gicumbi has 17.1 per cent while others recorded around 10, 7.2, 11, 7.8 per cent,” Gatabazi said. However, he added that some districts have fewer cases. These include the city of Kigali that has 0.8 per cent of cases. Lt. Col. Dr Tharcisse Mpunga, the State Minister in the Ministry of Health said that Caovid-19 is not yet defeated because some districts are still recording higher cases though there are others showing gradual change where cases are below 3 per cent. He urged Rwandans to continue complying with Covid-19 measures and guidelines. He said that Covid-19 patients admitted in treatment centres are between 8 and 9 daily and the virus cases are still high. In Kigali city, curfew hours were reduced, allowing peoples movements from 4pm, while businesses will be open until 9pm. For the remaining districts, curfew will begin at 9pm as businesses close at 8pm.
