Rwandans start life in lockdown

Rwandans start life under lockdown this week, which officially began on Sunday, after the government imposed harsh measures to restrict the further spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

There were mixed reactions following the government announcement, the first of such on the continent.

All border crossings have been shut, movement is heavily restricted within the country, and all shops, bars, cafés, restaurants and markets have been ordered to close.

All employees are to work from home, while Rwandans returning from abroad must undergo 14-days of quarantine upon their return at one of several designated isolation sites.

These measures have been put in place for an initial two-week period, which could be extended, depending on the state of the virus at that stage.

While some have praised the early and decisive action taken by the government, others have derided the decision as premature, which will be costly for the economy and impact those that cannot work from home.

Millions of Rwandans are paid by the day and as a result will be hit hard by these latest measures.

The country has so far confirmed 19 positive cases of the coronavirus, the highest number in East Africa.

Photo: BBC News