Rwanda Development Board (RDB) has approved the resumption of concerts among other new guidelines following recent cabinet resolutions, according to a statement issued on Thursday January 13. Concerts were among other activities banned at the end of last year, following an upsurge of the Omicron variant of Covid-19. “Organised concerts will resume gradually, organizers must request for permission at least ten days prior by emailing the Rwanda Convention Bureau,” read the statement signed by CEO Clare Akamanzi. Adding that the planners should follow other guidelines like selling concert tickets electronically, all indoor venues are not allowed to exceed 50 percent while for outdoors is 75 percent, and every attendee must be fully vaccinated and test negative for Covid-19. Speaking to The New Times an official from the board’s communication department clarified that this new directive does not target only those with previously organised events but everyone who wishes to do so. “Anybody who is intending to organize the concert is allowed to go ahead and follow all required procedures,” he said. According to the new guidelines, cinema halls and movie theatres are allowed to work with not more than 50 percent of the venue capacity. Among other updated measures to curb the spread of Covid-19, it’s a must for all people above 12 years to be fully vaccinated to be allowed in sauna and massage parlours and swimming pools. “The staff of these establishments must be fully vaccinated and all tested for Covid-19 every seven days and all eligible staff are encouraged to take booster shot” read the statement. Night clubs, silent discos, live bands in hotels or other venues are still suspended and the quarantine days for all arriving travellers are maintained to one day. These guidelines come at a time when the current statistics from the Ministry of Health on the country’s Covid-19 situation show that 763 people are infected with the virus as of January 12. As of the same date, at least 7,827,517 people have received their first dose, and 5,888,447 people are fully vaccinated and 485,163 people have received the booster shot.
