The Rwanda National Police (RNP) has expressed alarm over the number of bars that have violated Covid-19 measures since government granted them greenlight to operate. A cabinet meeting that sat on the 21st of last month resolved to open bars progressively, following the reduction in Covid-19 cases in the country. This was the first time that they were allowed to operate ever since the Covid-19 outbreak in Rwanda 18 months ago. To ensure safety, the Ministry of Trade and Industries established guidelines that should be fulfilled by each bar in order before being given permission to resume operations. Among these, all employees of each bar have to be vaccinated against Covid-19, and undergo screening after every 14 days, in addition to other measures related to the safety of the bar’s premises, for example having handwashing facilities at their entrances. Upon fulfilling such requirements, each bar owner can invite authorities to inspect their business, so that it can be allowed to reopen. However, for the past two weeks, some bars have not respected these regulations, according to John Bosco Kabera, the RNP Spokesperson. Speaking in an interview at the national broadcaster on Sunday, October 3, Kabera noted that hundreds of people have been arrested in various parts of the country, drinking from bars that have not been given approval by the authorities. “Since September 22 (when the cabinet reopened bars) until today, when you look at the numbers of people that have been arrested in bars that operate without fulfilling the requirements, you can really be surprised,” he said. “During this period, 477 people have been arrested in the Eastern Province, 309 in Kigali, 288 in the North, 256 in the Southern province, 109 in the West. And in addition to this, recently, some people were arrested in nightclubs, which have not been allowed to reopen so far.” Speaking about the situation in the city of Kigali, Mayor Pundence Rubingisa said the situation is not out of control, noting that there are a number of bar operators that have been observing the guidelines well. “Things are not out of control. We have places that are respecting the guidelines well - people listen to karaoke, get drinks from the counters, and so on, in a way that observes guidelines. However, we have also found some places that are disorganized,” he said. “We will not stop inspecting and evaluating bar businesses, educating and sensitizing them to observe guidelines or even punishing those that don’t comply, where necessary.” Frank Gisha, the Director-General of the Rwanda Chamber of Tourism called upon bar owners to be determined towards respecting the guidelines, and preventing the spread of the pandemic. He urged them to not only be creative in trying to make money, but also put emphasis on establishing ways of having safe environments for the clients. “When a business has taken 18 months in closure, it really goes down. So, when reopening, owners are expected to try to figure out new ways of improving the business. Here, it is important to prioritize establishing Covid-19 protective measures (within the bar),” he said.
