Daniel Ngamije
Authorities in Rwanda say it has confirmed the presence of new variants of the Covid-19 virus first identified in the UK and South Africa.
Health Minister Daniel Ngamije told the state broadcaster that 12 cases of the South African variant (B.1.351) and two of the UK variant (B.1.1.7) were identified last week.
The variants were found in 400 samples “that they were able to sequence between October 2020 and February 2021,” the minister said.
Dr Ngamije said the variants were identified among travellers who arrived at the country’s Kigali International Airport. They were put in isolation until they tested negative.
In January, the UK added Rwanda to its travel ban list for fear of the South African variant.
Meanwhile, 97% of the more than 340,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines that Rwanda received through the Covax facility have been administered, the minister said.
Rwanda has reported nearly 21,000 cases of coronavirus and 290 deaths.
Follow us on:
President Bola Tinubu on Friday declared that his purpose for seeking the nation's number one…
Kano state government is partnering Tony Blair Institute for Global Change to attract $23.5 million…
Nigeria's federal government has said it is currently reviewing the nation’s legal frameworks, among other…
The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, and the Port Harcourt International Airport have been recognised…
https://cdn.veri.app/13646108-d5ec-478b-a54c-b01f60dbca29.mp4 President Bola Ahmed Tinubu On Thursday directed Vice President, Kashim Shettima to lead Nigeria’s…
The United Sates (US) Vice President Kamala Harris has expressed her willingness to use her…