The Rwandan Ministry of Health on Saturday launched mass testing on COVID-19 for free in Kigali, the national capital, to help the country determine the prevalence of the virus spread.
The Rwandan Ministry of Health on Saturday launched mass testing on COVID-19 for free in Kigali, the national capital, to help the country determine the prevalence of the virus spread.
The two-day exercise to run through Sunday aims to test at least 15 percent of adult residents in each cell or about 106,000 sampled residents who were earlier informed through local leaders and health officials, Rwandan Minister of Health Daniel Ngamije briefed journalists at a testing site in Gasabo district.
Those found infected or with symptoms such as cough and high temperatures would be followed up with necessary treatment under home-based care, said Ngamije.
This will be the biggest mass testing for the virus the country ever held in terms of testing numbers, since its outbreak in March last year, and it coincides with the beginning of the ban on inessential movements in Kigali and other eight towns.
A similar testing exercise will be conducted after the lockdown ends, according to the minister.The Rwandan government on Wednesday announced that movements in Kigali and eight towns will be prohibited from July 17 to July 26, due to the surge in COVID-19 cases.
The public are not permitted to leave home except for essential services during the lockdown.As of Friday evening, Rwanda registered a total of 52,552 cases, with 37,210 recoveries and 626 deaths. –Xinhua
