Currently, the service is only given to people who come into contact with confirmed cases and people with high-risk of contracting the virus such as cross-border traders and truck-drivers and repatriated Rwandans, among the selected ones during random testing exercise.

“We will be soon providing Covid-19 testing to Rwandans and foreigners who are going outside the country,” said Dr. Daniel Ngamije, Minister for Health.

The service, he said, will be provided at the National Reference Laboratory, in Kigali, at a cost of around Rwf50,000 per test to Rwandans and $100 per test to foreigners, starting next week.

“There are some guidelines that are yet to be approved by RBC in this regard, but we expect this process to end this week and then begin providing the service. It shall be accessed to everyone who is in need of it as long as they have the means,” said Julien Mahoro Niyigabira, Head of Communication at RBC.

He also said that accurate results are obtained after two tests, leaving a period of 7 days between the two tests.

Rwanda has a total of 1629 confirmed cases including 47 new cases recorded yesterday of whom 838 have recovered. So far, 5 people have succumbed to the virus.

“We will be soon providing Covid-19 testing to Rwandans and foreigners who are going outside the country,” said Dr. Daniel Ngamije, Minister for Health

The minister of Local Government, Prof Shyaka Anastase was among those explaining how the country is responding to the pandemic.

The Minister of Trade and Industry, Soraya Hakuziyaremye was present in the press conference