Complaints have continued to mount against Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) in regard to delays people are experiencing before getting their Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests for Covid-19 during the festive season. Some of the affected people claimed that they did not receive their results within 72 hours - the time after which results become invalid for travel purposes. “Thank you RBC. 72 hours later and you still cannot find my PCR results,” read part of a complaint by one person on Twitter. Since last month, the government introduced new Covid-19 preventive measures in the wake of the Omicron variant. These are understood to have increased the demand for PCR tests. For instance, they stipulate that passengers coming into the country are required to test three times: on arrival, then after three days of quarantine at a designated hotel, and on the 7th day after arrival date. For tourists including children over five years visiting national parks, negative Covid-19 test results taken within 24 hours are required. The New Times tried to reach out to RBC for a comment about the complaints, but they had not yet responded by press time. This week, RBC announced that people who are travelling out of the country should make sure they take PCR tests in not less than 48 hours before their departure. This is arguably one of the ways that the institution is trying to use to have more time for handling the bulk of PCR tests coming its way during the festive season. Last week, the government slashed the cost of Covid-19 PCR tests for Rwandans from Rwf47,000 to 30,000 within the festive season.
