This archive report was first published on 7 August 2020.
Published on August 7, 2020, Rwanda has taken a tough approach to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
Since mid-July, over 70,000 people have been ordered by police to sit through hours of speeches at local arenas or detention centres for ignoring the 9:00 pm curfew or rules on mandatory face masks.
Every evening, in stadiums across Rwanda, public health messaging is blared through loudspeakers to spectators seated at least a metre apart in the stands, imploring them to be ambassadors in the fight against the new virus.
"From now on, I'll wear it wherever I am," said Jado son Nizeyimana, who was stopped by police for wearing his mask incorrectly and was told to report to the nearest stadium.
Police, meanwhile, have taken to informing bosses of their employees' transgressions and offering a choice: pay a fine of 25,000 Rwandan francs ($26/22 euros) or face public admonishment.
"I was arrested twice, and spent the night at the stadium on both occasions. Both times I was caught after curfew. The alternative was to pay a heavy fine, but I don't have any money. I am looking for a job," said 25-year-old Elly Niganze.
As of Thursday, Rwanda had recorded five deaths and just over 2,000 cases of COVID-19, with less than 900 active infections in the nation of 12.5 million.
