Rwanda closes schools in capital to curb COVID-19 spread

Rwanda has decided to close schools operating in the capital city of Kigali from Monday to further contain the spread of COVID-19, especially in the city.

The measure, which will be reviewed in two weeks upon health assessment, applies to all nursery, primary and secondary schools, both public and private, Rwandan Ministry of Education on Sunday said in a communique, adding that boarding students will remain in their schools.

Schools outside Kigali are excluded from the closure, according to it.The move put students back to remote learning just two months after phased resumption of in-person classes, which were first suspended in March last year due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Rwanda has recently seen a spike in COVID-19 infections, mostly found in Kigali.The ministry on Sunday reported 182 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the national tally to 11,032, with 7,363 recoveries and 142 deaths.