The government of Rwanda has lifted the mandatory wearing of face masks in public as a prevention against Covid-19, effective May 14. The Office of the Prime Minister communicated this in a statement following the cabinet meeting held on May 13 to review existing health measures regarding the pandemic. This comes after two years since the outbreak of the pandemic that saw the country undergo multiple lockdowns and put in place strict preventive measures to contain and fight against its spread, considering the different variants of Covid-19 that erupted from time to time. The effective response to the pandemic allowed the country to gradually reopen economic activities leading to the bouncing back of the economy since 2021. However as the fight continues, the cabinet said that; “People are encouraged to wear masks indoors and the public is encouraged to get frequently tested while continuing to observe preventive measures.” It emphasized that citizens and Rwanda residents must be fully vaccinated to access public places including public transport and that means having two doses of vaccine and a booster shot after three months. As of May 13, the number of people who have received the first dose totals 9,028,849 and the second dose for 8,494,713 while 4,371,568 have been administered with the booster shot, according to data from the Ministry of Health. The positivity rate is at 0.1 per cent with nine people who tested positive on that day and zero deaths as well as zero case of hospitalization. The statement also indicates that arriving passengers at Kigali International Airport must present a negative rapid test done within 72 hours and an additional rapid test will be done upon arrival. On the other hand, departing passengers will do a rapid or PCR test depending on requirements of destination. The cabinet approved different agreements including the joining of Association des Ombudsman et des Mediateur de la Francophonie (AOMF), and new appointments in different institutions.
