The Governor of Western Province has said that authorities have rolled out measures to curb Covid-19 violations in Karongi District, which was earlier this week placed under tough restrictions. 

Francois Habitegeko said Wednesday, June 2, that the district had witnessed a surge in virus cases in recent weeks because residents were flouting prevention measures.

"Cases have reduced lately but community transmissions had generally increased because people were not following guidelines,” the governor said, citing Bwishyura and Rubengera sectors that saw a spike in infections in the course of last month.

Habitegeko said, to contain the situation, authorities introduced regular inspections across all villages in the district, singling out cases where people had turned their homes into bars and prayer venues.

The Cabinet on Monday, May 31, imposed tougher measures on Karongi compared to the rest of the country, with curfew hours in the district now spanning from 7p.m-4a.m. Elsewhere in the country, curfew begins at 10p.m through 4a.m.

Bwishyura and Rubengera have recorded the most infections in recent weeks, with the governor saying the sectors would sometimes record more than 50 cases daily.

Asked what had triggered a surge in cases in the two sectors, the governor said they are both major commercial centres, attracting tourists and other people.

Recent efforts to crackdown on Covid violations have resulted in a fall in the number of infections, Habitegeko said, adding that the district recorded only two new confirmed cases on June 1.

Inspections are mostly conducted by local leaders and youth volunteers, he said.

Authorities have also introduced changes to how vendors operate in Rubengera market to ensure social distancing, the governor said.

Habitegeko added that authorities are also using radio stations, public megaphones and other avenues to raise awareness about the pandemic and curb violations.

"The strict measures taken recently are for the good of residents and families and we are doing everything possible to ensure we fix the issue,” he noted.

He called on residents in the district and the province in general to be compliant with existing measures to keep the situation under control.