The Higher Education Council (HEC) has, with immediate effect, instructed all higher learning institutions to stop evening programmes until further notice, a statement from the institution indicates.

The development was confirmed by Rose Mukankomeje, the HEC Director General in an exclusive interview with The New Times, on Wednesday, December 16.

Mukankomeje attributed the changes to a recent cabinet meeting that among others, resolved curfew hours to begin at 9:00 pm through 4:00 am, as it intensified efforts to contain the recent surge in new Covid-19 infections.

Rose Mukankomeje, the Higher Education Council Director General . / File

"As you know, evening classes start around 6:00 pm and end after 9:00 pm, yet we have to be home at 9:00 pm,” she noted. "This is done in order to comply with the last Cabinet decision towards protecting all of us from Covid-19. We are asking Higher Learning Institutions to look at other ways to deliver evening classes such as during the weekend or even online.”

She said that Universities have been asked to give their feedback on the decision.

"In order to work towards quality of education, we want students to cover all courses but also avoid Covid-19 infection,” said Mukankomeje adding, "We don’t want cases where students will be saying that they partially covered certain courses due to the Covid-19 pandemic.”

When asked about the responses from Universities she asserted, "I can assure you that some Higher Learning Institutions have already taken measures.”

The cabinet on Monday, December 14, issued fresh and strict guidelines to slow the spread of new Covid-19 infections.

Over the last couple of days, Rwanda has registered new infections north of 100 – a figure that was last recorded in mid-August.

Data from the Ministry of Local Government indicates that in the past 24 hours, 85 bars have been closed down.

Over 3000 individuals were penalised for not wearing their facemasks properly, and that 128 cars were caught for curfew violation.