Rwanda – 5 confirmed cases of COVID-19

Action

• Places of worship closed from Sunday 15 March 2020
• Schools & higher education institutions closed from Monday 16 March 2020
• Employees should be permitted to work from home wherever possible, in consultation with their employees  
• Large gatherings, such as weddings & sporting events postponed & number of people attending burial ceremonies should be minimised
• Unnecessary movements should be avoided. Public transport must not be overcrowded
• Businesses & restaurants to stay open; must allow for adequate distance between customers (at least one metre)

Kenya – 3 confirmed cases of COVID-19

Action

• Kenya suspends all inbound travel from countries with coronavirus
• Only Kenyan citizens & foreigners with valid visas allowed in Kenya for next 30 days
• Persons who arrived in Kenya in past 14 days must self-quarantine. Those presenting with symptoms, such as fever present themselves to nearest health facilty for testing
• Learning suspended in all learning institutions. Day schools from 16th March, boarding schools from the 18th March & universities from the 20th March
• Government offices, businesses & companies encouraged to allow staff to work from home, except those in critical or eseential services
  Limit congestion in public transport, wherever possible
• Limit cash use – people asked to use cards and transfers
• Citizens to avoid crowds at weddings funerals churches & shopping malls, limit visitors to hospitals
• Hospitals & shopping malls to provide water soap & hand sanitisers plus disinfected
  
  South Africa – 61 confirmed cases of COVID-19
  Action

• Travel ban from foreign nationals from high-risk countries from 18th March 2020.
• SA citizens advised to refrain from travel to or through high-risk countries effective immediately.
• SA citizens returning from high risk countries will have testing and self isolation.
• All foreign nationals having arrived into the country since mid-February from high-risk areas must be tested
• All spheres of government must not take non-essential travel.
• Gathering of more than 100 people prohibited
• Schools closed from 18 March until after the “easter” weekend break.
• Visits to all correctional facilities cancelled for the next 30 days.
• All businesses must ensure all measures taken to intensify hygiene control
• All shopping centres must ensure all measures taken to intensify hygiene control
• Capacity of health centres being increased nationally
• National command council has been established, meeting 3 times a week, chaired by the president
• Cabinet is finalising a package of varying fiscal measures for business labour etc

All three nations called on citizens to improve their hygiene, such as
– Frequent hand washing for 20 seconds or longer (ordinary soap is the most effective product for hand-washing followed by alcohol-based sanitiser
– Social distancing
– Sneezing with a closed hand into a tissue or elbow
– Avoiding close contact with those who have flu like symptoms
– Practice the “elbow” greeting and not shake hands.

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