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Rwanda National Police (RNP) arrested 14 people at a restaurant in Kicukiro District on Saturday, June 26, where 13 of them were at the time in the spa.
Those arrested at the restaurant located in Nyarugunga Sector include one Lilliane Umugwaneza,
At the time of the operation at about 2pm on Saturday, Umugwaneza was found socializing with another man identified as Norbert Karangwa.
Although Umugwaneza claimed that she did not know that she was Covid-19 positive, Rwanda Biomedical Centre said that she had been informed of her status the previous day and advised to self-isolation.
Umugwaneza had claimed that after going for the Covid-19 test at Kanimba polyclinic on Friday, she received the positive results on Saturday afternoon.
However, Dr. Sonia Iradukunda from RBC said that Umugwaneza was informed of her status shortly after she took the test.
Dr. Iradukunda observed that she refused to self-isolate because she had a journey.
"Umugwaneza received her results shortly after the tests were carried out at Kamimba polyclinic and they advised her isolate herself. The polyclinic also immediately informed us of her status and we started looking for her to take her to Kanyinya treatment centre but she was nowhere to be seen until Police found her at the restaurant socializing with other people, which raises more concerns of how many others she could have infected in the process," Dr. Iradukunda said
Dr. Iradukunda advised Norbert Karangwa, who was found with Umugwaneza as well as all others that could have had any contact with her to go for Covid-19 test and self-quarantine for at least seven days to prevent any further spread of the virus.
Lilliane Umugwaneza tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday, June 25, but breached the self-isolation directives.
Umugwaneza was taken for further medical care.
The shocked Karangwa wondered why Umugwaneza had not told him of her status as they were socializing.
Nyarugunga sector executive secretary, Uwamahoro Genevieve said that the spa was previously found operating contrary to the national Covid-19 prevention directives and the owner directed to close until after the pandemic.
The owner of the Spa is among those arrested. Spas and swimming pool are among the closed services except for Covid-19 negative guests at the hospitality establishment.
RNP spokesperson, Commissioner of Police (CP) John Bosco Kabera said that Police received information that the propriator of the spa had resumed operations disregarding the directives from local authorities.
"You cannot do such a risk thing, put people in danger for personal gains and think that it will not come to light. It is also sad that someone who knows better that she tested positive to Covid-19 and told to isolate herself but goes against such advice to infect others," CP Kabera said, warning against such life-threatening behaviours.
"The journey was not worth her life. It was better for her to first seek medical attention and resume the journey later instead of putting her life and those of others at high risk. We will continue to educate the public on the prevention directives and other safety practices but also arresting anyone with such errant behaviours and practices," CP Kabera said.
Article 117 of law determining offences and penalties in general states that any person, who wilfully transmits to another person an illness likely to cause disability, commits an offence.
Upon conviction, he/she is liable to imprisonment for a term of at least two years and not more than three years and a fine of not less than Frw300,000 and not more than Frw500, 000.
In case the illness transmitted is incurable, the penalty is imprisonment of at least 20 years and not more than 25 years and a fine of more than Frw500,000 and not more than Frw1 million.
