The Rwandan minister of Health Diane Gashumba, on Monday warned religious leaders from all evangalical churches in the country against inviting people from Ebola-hit areas in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and said unessential cross-border trade should be highly avoided.
Speaking Monday during the visit by a high-level government delegation in Rubavu, a district located at about 160 Km in North Western Rwanda, the Rwandan official said that yet current measures were put in place to reinforce screening procedures and public safety at entry points, religious leaders should avoid inviting anyone else from Eastern Dr Congo.
However, Rwanda’s border with DRC remains open, it said.
So far Rwanda has a detailed National Preparedness Plan for Ebola in place and has trained health workers in early detection and response, educated communities about Ebola, vaccinated health workers in high-risk areas, put up health facilities, and continues to conduct simulation exercises to maintain a high level of readiness.
Screenings at border crossings have been reinforced and a 24-hour monitoring implemented at the airport and all entry points with neighbouring countries, it said.
Earlier last week, Rwanda Health officials confirmed the the detection of a second Ebola case in Goma, a city near Gisenyi on the Rwandan side, involving a 46-year-old man who had traveled from a community near Bunia in Ituri province.
The officials said the infected man who died later, was a father of 10 children, from Mongbwalu, about 43 miles from Bunia, the capital of Ituri province.
The city of Goma reported its first case in the middle of July, from a pastor who traveled to the city after his symptoms began in Butembo, and outbreak response teams have been intensively following the man’s contacts during the 21-day monitoring period.
The city of Goma shares the border with western Rwanda’s Rubavu district with daily border crossings between the two countries, estimated at about 100,000 people, according to the Rwanda Directorate General of immigration and Emigration.
CU/abj/APA