Rwanda National Police

Police in Gicumbi District arrested 27 people on Sunday, March 14, after they were found congested in a house praying.

This was against the national COVID-19 prevention measures, which prohibits social gatherings including prayers in homes.

The violators were found gathered in the house of one Jacqueline Mushimiyimana, 39, located in Remera Cell of Manyagiro Sector.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Jean Bosco Minani, District Police Commander (DPC) for Gicumbi, said the violators came from different sectors of Gicumbi and Burera districts.

He added that the illegal gathering was reported by residents in the area.

"At about 2pm on Sunday, residents called the Police reporting people, who came from Burera and Gicumbi, gathered in the house of Mushimiyimana for prayers. Police officers were immediately deployed and found them squeezed in a small room praying. It was easier for one infected person to infect all others," SP Minani said.

They came from Manyagiro, Rubaya and Cyumba sectors in Gicumbi and Bugwe Sector in Burera. 

"They travelled from one district to another which is prohibited, gathered in the same house where no health guidelines such as social distancing, wearing of face mask and washing hands, were observed," SP Minani said.

He appealed to the members of the public to always abide by the government set prevention measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Religious gatherings, he said, are allowed in places of worship, which were inspected and permitted but also respecting health and safety guidelines as well as 30 percent maximum occupancy. 

Only 81 churches out of 530 in Gicumbi, were allowed to resume services after they fulfilled the COVID-19 prevention requirements.

The DPC thanked the residents and other entities for their continuous partnership and collaboration to enforce the directives.

He reminded that the pandemic is still around and still killing people, which requires maximum compliance with the directives.

The violators were sensitized on dangers of the pandemic, prevention measures but also handed administrative fines, accordingly.