Over 200,000 Rwandans vaccinated against Covid-19

Rwanda has vaccinated at least 228,854 people countrywide against coronavirus almost a week since it launched the exercise. 

High risk groups, including health workers, teachers, elderly people with underlying health conditions, those above 65 years old and other frontline workers, have received their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine.

The list also includes prisoners, refugees living in Rwanda, taxi moto and cab drivers, airport staff, traders, security guards and community health workers. 

Rwanda initially targeted 171,480 people to be vaccinated in the first vaccine roll out. 

On March 3-4, Rwanda received 340,960 AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines under the Covax facility and an additional 50,000 more doses donated by India.

More than 5,000 motorcycle and bicycle taxi drivers, as well as community public safety personnel who are in regular contact with the public were vaccinated.

More than 2,300 inmates of Nyarugenge Prison, based on age and underlying health conditions, were also vaccinated. More inmates in other prisons across the country will also be vaccinated, the Ministry of Health said. 

In refugee camps, the country began by vaccinating evacuees from Libya hosted at Gashora Emergency Transit Centre, who are in the process of being resettled in other countries, as well as the centre’s support staff.

Rwanda plans to vaccinate 60 percent of its population by the end of 2022. It has a population of more than 12 million people.

Rwanda's Minister of Health, Dr Daniel Ngamije, announced that the country is in negotiations with partners and other governments to acquire more vaccine doses.

As of Wednesday, Rwanda had recorded a total of 19,846 Covid-19 cases, out which it reported 18,118 recoveries and 271 deaths. The country currently has 1,457 active Covid-19 cases. 

The positivity rate currently stands at 1.8 percent.