Up to 22.1 per cent of the confirmed Covid cases was recorded across the country this year were among students, according to officials from Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC).
Since the beginning of the year, until Friday, June 25, a total of 26,638 new cases were across the country, 5,900 of which were students, Angela Mutoni, Director of Avian influenza and other highly pathogenic diseases, RBC, told The New Times over the weekend.
For over a month now, Rwanda has seen a surge in new coronavirus cases, with more than 5000 cases recorded in one week, 964 of them on Wednesday, June 23, a record of highest number of new confirmed cases recorded in one day since the outbreak last year.
Mutoni called on schools to strictly observe Covid safety measures, including correct and consistent mask use at all times, physical distancing and regular hand hygiene, to protect their communities.
"In doing so, it will make in-person learning and examinations safe and possible. In schools where social distancing may seem impossible, administrators may look into alternating physical presence of students, like having alternate schedules, students attending classes or writing their exams in shifts or even holding virtual classes or exams where possible,” she added.
"Alternatively, school administrators can set up student cohorts (keeping students in small groups that do not mix) during breaks, meals, classroom sessions and during after classroom activities. This will keep students safe and limit crossover movements among students within the school.”
Call to embrace outdoor settings
She also urged schools to ensure adequate and appropriate ventilation in classrooms, dining halls, buses, among other spaces, by opening windows and doors and embracing outdoor activities.
In view of the rising numbers of Covid infections, many public and private schools have recently rolled out new measures or stepped up vigilance in implementation of safety guidelines.
Speaking to The New Times last week, Monica Tumukunde, headmistress at ES Kanombe, said that while they were concerned about the recent spike in Covid cases in the country, they were keeping it basic in the fight against the virus.
"Like other youths, students need to always be reminded of Covid prevention guidelines. It’s our daily routine and it’s working,” she said.
At Lycée de Kigali, Martin Masabo, the headteacher, said they were doing everything possible to keep their community safe, especially in the current exam season.
He said that, besides enforcing existing measures, they are now closing school 30 minutes earlier – at 4p.m – to ensure that day-scholars get home ahead of curfew hours, which start at 7p.m.
Meanwhile, The New Times has learnt that 66 per cent of cases registered on Thursday last week were people under 40 years old, out of whom 40 per cent were under 30.
Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente, who heads the government taskforce on Covid-19, was later Tuesday, June 29, set to announce new virus guidelines at a news conference.