Rwanda scraps mask requirement in public

People who did not respect the measures to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) pandemic, such as the correct wearing of masks in public places, are forced to sit and listen the prevention speeches for a few hours in Nyamirambo stadium in Kigali, Rwanda on August 3, 2020. (Photo by AFP)

KIGALI, Rwanda — Rwanda has scrapped a requirement for face masks in public, easing its strict coronavirus restrictions.

Rwanda’s vaccine rollout has been among the fastest in Africa, and around a third of its 13 million people have got booster shots.

“Wearing face masks is no longer mandatory. However, people are encouraged to wear masks indoors,” the prime minister’s office said late Friday.

“Citizens and Rwanda residents must be fully vaccinated in order to access public places (including public transport). Fully vaccinated means having two doses and a booster when eligible,” the statement said.

The authorities also announced that visitors will no longer have to take PCR tests, but can take antigen tests instead before travel and after arriving in the country.

Rwanda has implemented a rigorous regime of testing and contact-tracing, recording 1,459 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

/MUF