Government has imposed more stringent Covid-19 preventive measures, where among other things, inter-district travel is prohibited, and the nation-wide “stay at home” curfew will be starting at 7am to 4am every day. This was announced by the Prime Minister’s Office on Monday, June 21, as one of the outcomes of an extraordinary cabinet meeting convened by President Paul Kagame to discuss various issues, including measures to address the pandemic. The new measures will come into effect on Wednesday, June 23 and run for a period of two weeks, after which a health assessment will be done to decide on the next step. “Movements are prohibited between 7pm to 4am. All businesses must close by 6 PM,” read a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office. “Movements between Kigali and other provinces, and movements between districts across the country are prohibited except for medical reasons and other essential services,” it added. However, vehicles transporting goods to various parts of the country will continues to operate – but with no more than 2 people on board. Another notable thing is that all wedding ceremonies are suspended, be it civil, traditional or religious, for the next two weeks. Attendance at vigils should not exceed 10 people at any one time, and funeral gatherings should not exceed 30 persons, according to the new measures. “All other social gatherings including celebrations of various kinds are prohibited in both public and private settings,” the communique reads. Almost all the other activities will continue in-line with the recent measures announced during a cabinet meeting that took place on June 13. Public transport (buses) will continue to carry passengers only at 50 percent of their capacity, while public offices will function at 30 percent capacity - mainly allowing only essential staff in their premises. Likewise, places of worship will host congregations at 30 percent of the normal capacity of their facilities, and Covid-19 preventive measures will be observed during the prayers. But this will only apply to places of worship that have been authorised to host worshippers. According to the communique, public institutions will now maintain 15 per cent of the staff in office while the rest will work from home. Cafes and restaurants will also operate at 30 per cent occupancy, but negative Covid-19 results will be required for some designated ones. Gyms will operate at 15 per cent of their venue capacity, but on a special note, clients must present negative Covid-19 test results. “All swimming pools and spas will remain closed except those at hotels hosting tested guests,” the statement noted.
