The 18th Extraordinary Summit of the East Africa Community(EAC) Heads of State which had been purposely convened to discuss the ongoing novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on Wednesday has been postponed to a later date.
The 18th Extraordinary Summit, which was to be held via Video Conferencing, had been called by the Rwandan President and Chairperson of the Summit, Paul Kagame, specifically to exchange on the regional response against COVID-19, including its fiscal, economic and social consequences on the Community.
The EAC Secretary General, Liberat Mfumukeko, Rwanda’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Vincent Biruta, said that the Extraordinary Summit had been postponed due to a request by the Republic of South Sudan.
Biruta, who is also the Chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers, said in a statement issued in Nairobi that a new date for the Extraordinary Summit would be communicated in due course.
As at 15th April, 2020, all Partner States had confirmed cases of coronavirus with Kenya reporting 216 cases with 9 deaths, Rwanda 134, Uganda 55, Tanzania 53 with 3 deaths, Burundi 5 and one death and South Sudan 4 cases.
Rwanda, South Sudan and Uganda have not reported any deaths so far.
An EAC ministerial meeting on the COVID-19 Pandemic Preparedness and Response resolved, among other things, directed all Partner States to continue implementing mandatory quarantine for 14 days for all travellers to the region, and avoid imported cases by implementing strict screening procedures at all border points.
The Ministers further resolved to maintain suspension of EAC regional face-to-face meetings and urged EAC Organs and Institutions to utilize Modern Technology such as video-conferences, Webinars and Skype Calls for holding such meetings until such a time when the situation has been contained.
The meeting directed all Partner States to implement 100 percent exit and entry screenings by applying the multilayer mechanism to avoid some loopholes, such as transit Passengers.
The Ministers also resolved to minimize cross border movement of people while facilitating free movements of Goods and Services in the EAC region. This was to ensure that trade continues unhindered throughout the region.
JK/abj/APA