Starting Monday 20th December, commuter public buses began operating requiring passengers to and from Kigali must present vaccination certificates, as per the new guidelines. As the festive season approaches, many Rwandans who will be heading to different parts of the country will be required to show proof of vaccination. Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) has a site at bus parks where they are supporting passengers by vaccinating those who are not yet vaccinated as well as issuing certificates for those who had lost them. A few city malls, restaurants and bars have also commenced requiring members of the public accessing them to prove that they have received their jabs. A number of places of worship have also announced that worshippers seeking to attend services during the festive period will also be required to prove that they have been vaccinated. The commencement of the vaccine mandate follows months of availability of the vaccines across the country that prioritized the elderly and those with ailments and recently started vaccination of children above 12 years old. In the coming days, members of the public are likely to be required to show proof of vaccination in more outlets both public and private. While some may not welcome the development, this is one of the sure guarantees that the country’s vulnerability with regard to the pandemic is reduced especially with the variants. As businesses move on to require clients to prove that they have taken the jab, it will help keep businesses and operations running even amidst waves of the pandemic as clients have more confidence that they are walking into safe environments. Vaccine mandates will not only reduce the chances of mutations, but it will also reduce the overwhelming health facilities and infrastructure which will reduce chances of the much dreaded lockdowns.
