This archive report was first published on 12 July 2020.
On July 12, 2020, Rwanda emerged as a model for Covid-19 handling in the region, with only three deaths recorded.
Timely interventions, meticulous contact-tracing, and upscaled testing have contributed to Rwanda's success.
The country has reopened its airspace for international passenger flights and tourism facilities, earning praise from the European Union Council and Germany's Robert Koch Institute.
With 1,175 positive cases from over 150,000 tests, Rwanda's approach stands in contrast to Kenya's 9,726 cases from 207,987 samples over a similar period.
Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, the director of Rwanda Biomedical Centre, attributed the country's success to strict enforcement of lockdowns and community discipline.
“We conducted several surveys in Rubavu after it had been placed under lockdown, and we did not find any more community transmissions. Rusizi is still facing community transmissions,” Dr. Nsanzimana said.
Rwanda has scaled up its testing, conducting an average of 4,000 samples daily, and has implemented a random testing scheme on the streets of the capital, Kigali.
The Rwanda Biomedical Centre aims to test 5,000 people daily at entry points of Kigali, with a 5-minute drive-through testing scheme.
