Rwanda’s health minister says country is ready to receive Covid-19 vaccine

Thembelihle Mkhonza

Johannesburg - Rwandan Minister of Health Daniel Ngamije has on Sunday announced that Rwanda was ready to receive AstraZeneca and Moderna vaccines to fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to Ngamije, the request for those vaccines for Covid-19 was already made and they were hoping that Rwanda would be among the first countries in Africa to receive them.

“In recent days, we have observed an increase in the number of Covid-19 patients admitted to ICUs. The number of death cases is also worryingly increasing with the regrettable fact that most of them are young people with no comorbidities,” said Ngamije.

“Covid-19 is bothering us because of the re-infection with the killer. We are all asked to follow the instructions to avoid it,” said Ngamije.

He said Covid-19 patients admitted to intensive care units have recently increased.

Ngamije said since the lifting of the lockdown and opening up of the economy, they have noticed a high level of complacency among the population and increasing numbers of people ignoring rules on physical distancing, wearing masks and washing hands.

“This has led to a rise in the number of Covid-19 infections that we are currently experiencing,” he said.

He urged all Rwandans to adhere to the Covid-19 preventive measures, wearing a face mask when in public and avoiding unnecessary movement to crowded places and social gatherings.

Minister of Local Government in Rwanda Anastase Shyaka added that the upcoming festive holiday celebrations should not be the reason for the spike in the number of new Covid-19 cases. He said local government authorities and law enforcement agencies should make sure that communities go through the festive season safe.

– African News Agency (ANA)