An extraordinary cabinet meeting on Thursday, September 10 resolved to push back the night-time curfew to 9 pm across the country. The decision comes two weeks after the government had directed that curfew hours be brought ahead, starting at 7 pm as part of measures to fight Covid-19. “Movements are prohibited from 9 pm to 5 am,” a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office reads in part. The change, which is likely to be a relief to many, especially the working population in Kigali and other urban areas, comes after the country has been recording moderate daily infections of the virus. For instance, the country recorded 19 new cases on Thursday, different from two weeks ago when the daily cases were in three-digits. The cabinet meeting also resolved that private transport between Rusizi and other districts will resume in adherence to health guidelines. For the past couple of months, movement in and out of Rusizi to or from other districts has been restricted following a surge in Covid-19 cases from the border district. Meanwhile, according to the statement, all tourists visiting national parks must test negative for Covid-19 at their own cost before entering the park. This includes domestic tourists. Like it has been, Covid-19 preventive measures including wearing of face masks in public, regular washing of hands, social distancing among others will continue to be adhered to. As it stands, Rwanda has reported a total of 4,479 Covid-19 cases since mid-March. Of these, 2,352 are recovered cases while a total of 22 patients have succumbed to the virus.
