The latest Coronavirus updates from the Ministry of Health points to 11 new recoveries and one new infection. That brings the number of people who have recovered to 164 with 123 patients still in hospital. The fact that Rwanda seems to be steadily managing the pandemic seems to have gone to some people’s heads that seem to have thrown all caution to the air. The fact that over two dozen people were found crammed in a house, purportedly praying for the virus to go away shows just how far some people are willing to go to take advantage of the gullible. However magnanimous God might be, giving a blank cheque is not part of the deal; the recipients of the favours must play their bit. As many countries have discovered to their grief, the virus thrives where it is ignored; it spreads at will and strikes down those in its path yet they had the option of keeping a safe distance. The precautionary measures put in place were informed by meaningful cooperation between various stakeholders in the health sector, both local and external. The country learned from the mistakes of others and avoided those paths. We cannot ignore the Almighty’s grace in the successful management of the pandemic, but Rwandans had to fold their sleeves and go to work in helping keep the virus in check. The COVID-19 curve is slowly flattening and should be given all the help it needs. That means maintaining vigilance and staying safe and avoiding unnecessary and risky practices. And that means avoiding religious parasites that prey on vulnerable souls and exploit their fears.
