The coronavirus vaccines will be available in Rwanda in three months. The Minister of Health, Dr. Daniel Ngamije announced it on National Television on Sunday December 13.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Daniel Ngamije, asks the population to continue to respect the barrier gestures because the vaccine is coming soon. “Rwanda is on the list of countries ready to receive the coronavirus vaccine,” said Dr. Daniel Ngamije.
The conditions are in place to receive the vaccine moderna and AstraZeneka. “We can even receive the Pfizer vaccine because outside of its -70o storage temperature, it can remain intact for up to 5 days in a regular refrigerator,” says Dr. Ngamije.
Those at risk will be the first to be served, such as police officers, detainees, medical personnel, border personnel, people with certain diseases such as diabetes, …. . We are in the process of locating them and directing them, at the right time, to the nearest place to get vaccinated,” reveals Ngamije.
Covid-19 resurfaces…
The results of the last 24 hours (12 December) show that 100 people have been infected with covid-19 and two people have died, a 14-year-old girl and a 61-year-old male adult. The positivity rate is 2.6% and the death rate is 0.8%. The number of people who have recovered is 66. Under treatment are 580.
The number of people under treatment has been increasing steadily for the past week. People are beginning to get used to the 56 deaths that have occurred since the start of the pandemic.
The Minister of Local Government, Dr. Anastase Shyaka recommends caution. “Wherever there are large numbers of people, we have to be cautious because these places can be hotbeds of contamination,” he said. “Most people know how to protect themselves against the coronavirus, including in rural areas,” he said. “The problem lies with people who think they have been ‘vaccinated’ against the virus,” he says. “We see them at unauthorized family parties, restaurants turned into cabarets, …” he observes. He points out that from 1 to 9 December, 347 cabarets were closed in the country.
“When a person arrives at a restaurant, orders meal and a drink, that’s enough. He should not continue to be served. He should be asked to go home,” advises CP Jean Bosco Kabera, spokesman for the National Police.
“If the number of infected people continues to increase, we will be forced to close down business activities and we will not find another fund to revive the private sector,” threatens the Minister of Trade and Industry, Soraya Hakuziyaremye.
Gerard Rugambwa
