Health prevention , improving logistics to promptly detect and timely respond to potential COVID-19 cases , raising public awareness on COVID-19 preparedness and response activities , and ensuring the enforcement of safety and security measures to facilitate the implementation of public health measures .
Accordingly , in early 2020 , the Government of Rwanda established a national multisectoral steering committee chaired by the Right Hon . Prime Minister , Dr Edward Ngirente , to bring all actors together in the response to COVID-19 and frame appropriate and comprehensive measures to contain COVID-19 . In addition , a Joint Task Force ( JTF ) was established , comprising the RBC , institutions affiliated to the ministry of health , members of the security forces , local government representatives , and volunteers from partner organizations . The JTF was hosted under the RBC and was tasked with boosting surveillance and response , case detection , data collection , case management , monitoring , and the evaluation of the implementation of preventive measures .
Testing centres were established across the country , and thousands of young volunteers were hired to strengthen COVID-19 surveillance in health facilities and at all points of entry in the country , which include the use of new technological tools such as smart anti-epidemic robots .
Health workers were trained to conduct specimen collection , packaging and referral ; the number of oxygen plants and critical care infrastructure was increased , and specialists in critical care were deployed as part of the efforts to enhance the health sector ’ s capacity to properly manage confirmed cases to reduce mortality and ensure that health facilities are prepared for large outbreaks .
On 14 March 2020 , the first case of Covid -19 was reported in Rwanda . From that day , Rwanda implemented preventive and control measures : all borders were closed , and the first nationwide lockdown was initiated . After a 40-day lockdown , preventive measures were intensified , such as the wearing of face masks , hand washing , physical distancing and the prevention of the influx of potential cases from abroad - passengers were required to quarantine for 24h in designated hotels while waiting for their test results . Thanks to all these measures , Rwanda was able to contain the virus within the country .
However , despite the effective controls that were established , the country has faced three waves of COVID-19 . The first , in August 2020 , emerged from clusters in markets , refugee camps , and detention centres . The second wave is believed to be associated with the end of the year 2020 festive season , forcing the government to put the city of Kigali , which was the most affected , into lockdown from February to March 2021 . The third and most recent wave , in June 2021 , has been associated with the arrival of the delta variant that now dominates all other variants of SARS COV-2 . It hit Kigali and other districts in the North-West border of Rwanda . There are indications that the recent Nyiragongo Volcanic eruptions tragedy , which forced many people to flee from DRC into Rwanda , may have accelerated the spread of this variant in the Rubavu district . The government of Rwanda implemented several interventions , including another lockdown of the city of Kigali for 3 weeks , which helped to reduce cases to a manageable level towards the end of July 2021 .
In August 2021 , with the arrival of more vaccines , a new massive vaccination programme of Covid-19 was initiated in all regions of the country and is already showing effectiveness in reducing transmission among the population . More than one million and eight hundred thousand people have already received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine , while more than one million are fully vaccinated .
The progress of vaccination is encouraging , although it is still far from the target to vaccinate 60 % of the population by 2022 , a key aspect in containing the spread of the virus among the population for years to come .
The containment of the pandemic requires international cooperation , and a key factor in the prevention and control of the pandemic worldwide is vaccination . But developing
17