Rwanda confirms first Omicron cases

By Maniraguha Ferdinand [caption id="attachment_91642" align="alignnone" width="1000"] Rwanda has vaccinated more than 30 % of its population[/caption] Rwanda has announced that first cases of Omicron variant has been detected, putting the country on alert. The statement from Ministry of Health on 14 December 2021, revealed that  six cases of the Omicron variant have been confirmed  in Rwanda “through genomic sequencing of samples collected from travelers and their contacts”. The  variant has been detected in more than 70 countries around the world, and The World Health Organization has recently warned that Omicron is  spreading at a rate not seen before. Rwanda confirms  Omicron cases shortly after a cabinet meeting chaired by President Paul Kagame, where new preventive measures were adopted. Among the measures,  all public workers were sent to work from home, unless those who are in services requiring physical contact. Concerts are temporally banned. The east African country has inoculated more than 30 % of its population, the target is to vaccinate more than 70 % by the end of 2022. The Ministry of Health has recently urged citizens and residents aged 18 and above with at least six months since second dose of vaccine, to go get a third booster shot if needed.