By JOHNSON KANAMUGIRE

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Rwanda has extended the lockdown of the Capital Kigali by one week to February 7 to further contain the spread of Covid-19 infections that kept on a rising trend for the better part of the past couple of weeks.

The cabinet meeting on Tuesday decided that the lockdown would be lifted on February 8 but movements linking the City with provinces would still be prohibited, and academic institutions, recreational centers as well as churches closed for another two weeks.

The government also imposed a curfew from 7 pm to 4 am in new changes to take effect when Kigali emerges from the lockdown, from 8-22 February. During the two-week period, public offices will remain closed, and physical meetings, events, and gatherings banned.

Tourism activities will continue in strict adherence with Covid-19 guidelines, while Public transport will resume under strict restriction including carrying half the capacity.

Rwanda's Health minister Daniel Ngamije said that Kigali City, whose number of infections had overtaken those of all the provinces combined by the time of going into the lockdown on January 18, had registered a significant reduction in new infections.

“One more week will allow us to further flatten the curve because in addition to the reduction in infection rates the Covid-19 related death rates have declined by over 36 percent over the past two weeks. This is thanks to early treatment from decentralized level and antiviral drugs being used to treat Covid-19 patients in health facilities and others to be introduced,” he said while appearing on the national broadcaster.

The country has also tightened entry requirements for incoming passengers at the airport who must present negative PCR taken within 72 hours prior to the first departure as opposed to 120 hours previously.

They will equally be subjected to self-quarantine for seven days at the end of which a PCR test has to be taken.

The health ministry indicated that this aimed at not only minimize risks of incoming passengers with a virus contracted after securing the test but also help in detecting potential entry of the new coronavirus variant in the country.

Minister Ngamije announced that the country planned to receive the first consignment of 1 million doses of both Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines in mid-February to embark on vaccination that will prioritize frontline workers, elderly people, and people with underlying health conditions.

Rwanda is one of the four African countries that met all the requirements to receive the first batch of Pfizer vaccine, alongside Tunisia, South Africa, and Cape Verde.

The country plans to acquire additional vaccines in the coming months with a target of vaccinating at least 60 percent of the population.