*President Paul Kagame (2nd right) in an elbow-bump with a Rwandan before the lock-down order by his Cabinet
As a way of ensuring that the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic does not have the same deadly effect it has in other countries in Rwanda, President Paul Kagame has extended a national lockdown for another two weeks. So far 82 people have been infected in Rwanda, according to a government statement issued on Wednesday April 1, 2020. Recall that Rwanda was among the first nations in Africa to impose a lockdown, banning all “unnecessary movements” outside the home, shutting down schools, shops, and public transport.
“To further contain the outbreak, Cabinet extended the existing measures for an additional two weeks, until 23:59 on Sunday April 19, 2020,” according to the statement issued after an extraordinary Cabinet meeting via video conference, which was chaired by President Paul Kagame himself. Rwanda has the second-highest number of infections in East Africa after Mauritius, which stands at 154, although Kenya is rapidly catching up after a leap saw an increase to 81 on April 1 as well. AFP reports that Africa, which has lagged behind the global curve, has nearly 6,400 recorded cases, of which 234 have been fatal.
