Rwanda has tightened its Covid-19 travel restrictions for passengers from India, Uganda and the DR Congo. This comes to prevent the spread of the new wave of the pandemic. According to the statement released by Rwanda Biomedical Center, effective June 15, the Covid-19 guidelines for travelers will change for some countries. “All passengers arriving from or have travelled to India and Uganda in the last 7 days are required to complete a 7 days’ mandatory quarantine upon arrival,” reads a statement from RBC. The designated centres where they will be quarantined are Landmark Suites, Corina K. Guesthouse and colors club SPA& Garden resort as well as Ubumwe Grande Hotel, on their own cost. The statement encouraged the airlines to check whether their passengers had booked a 7-day stay in the designated hotels. Also, passengers from DRC will need to take a Covid-19 test. “All travellers from DRC (Goma and Bukavu) who plan to fly through Kigali International Airport are required to have SARS-CoV 2 Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR),” the statement said. The statement adds that the test has to be performed by the RBCs lboratory, the provincial or district hospitals. Moreover, once any traveler tests positive for Covid-19, they will be treated in line with the National Management Guidelines until they have fully recovered. This will take place at their own cost. Apart from the new guidelines, anyone travelling to Rwanda is obliged to fill a passenger locator form before heading to the country, present a negative Polymerase Chain Reaction(PCR) test and get tested again upon arrival. After the test, a traveler is requested to wait for the results at transit hotels during the course of 24 hours. Travelers departing from Rwanda are also urged to present a negative Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours before taking off. The only exception, according to the statement, is for children under five years who are not obliged to take a Covid-19 test.
