Rwanda says it will oblige people attending public places, services and events to be fully vaccinated especially in the capital where over 90 percent of its population aged above 12 years have been fully inoculated. The move was announced Wednesday by the Minister of Health Dr Daniel Ngamije, during a post cabinet hosted at the Prime Minister’s Office in Kimihurura, Kigali. Minister Ngamije was flanked by other cabinet members to shed light on the new tightened Covid-19 restrictions, which took effect on Thursday, December 16. When asked about the Covid-19 vaccine mandates, he said that the directive was part of the effort to increase vaccination uptake but also let those who are vaccinated to take advantage. “Vaccines were availed to people, they should now enjoy their status of being vaccinated,” he said. Ngamije went on to allay fears that the policy is not discriminatory, based on the concerns that only slightly over 4.38 million people are fully immunised. “The requirement of inviting people to attend social events when they are fully vaccinated especially in the City of Kigali where 90 percent of those above 12 years are fully vaccinated, I think doesn’t present any discriminatory character.” The Minister also explained that while Kigali residents will be required to present a proof of full vaccination, people living upcountry will only be required to have one dose vaccination proof. The edict comes at a time Rwanda further ramps up its vaccination campaign that has seen at least 7 million Rwandans out of a population of 13 million receiving their first jab. The emergence of the latest Covid-19 variant Omicron has also paved the way for the government to make decisive interventions especially as Rwandans gear up for the festive season. “We have the vaccines, and all groups have equal priority. They are those who want their first dose, their second dose or even booster shots. They are available and they are the only sustainable solution towards this pandemic.” In the wake of the news, The New Times has learnt that some services have immediately imposed the directive. For instance Higher Learning Institutions including the University of Rwanda, Mount Kenya University, Africa Leadership University have told their students that access to the premises is not guaranteed without a proof of full vaccination. In the sports industry, team managers alongside their players have also been required to fully vaccinate. The same directive is being implemented in hotels including Onomo hotel, Lemigo hotel as well as meeting venues. With immediate effect, the government says that all event organizers are required to give access to only vaccinated fans. The majority of vaccines currently available in Rwanda require two doses for full vaccination, with the second dose administered 4 to 12 weeks after the first, depending on the type of vaccine. Africa recorded an 83 percent surge in new Covid-19 cases during the past week, driven by the Delta and the Omicron variants, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The continent recorded more than 196,000 new cases for the week ending on 12 December, up from around 107,000 in the previous week. The number of new Covid-19 cases is currently doubling every five days, the shortest reported this year, although deaths dropped by 19% last week compared with the previous week. Rwanda’s current infection rate stands at 1.3 percent up from less than 1 percent in the previous months.
