He has revealed this during a talk show to shed light on Coronavirus infections and preventive measures in prisons.
On 27th December 2020, the Ministry of Health reported 103 COVID-19 cases in Huye prison. In November, prisons became among the country's major hotspot of Covid-19 positive cases, after claiming more than 12 lives and registering more than 200 cases in less than a month.
At the time, the majority of the cases were registered in Rwamagana Prison, Nyarugenge Prison and Muhanga Prison, and a few weeks later, cases were also reported in Rusizi and Musanze Prisons.
SSP Gakwaya has revealed that infected inmates from Rwamagana, Muhanga and Mageragere have recovered even though there are active cases in Huye, Ngoma and Musanze prisons. He however explained that no one is in critical condition.
'We have no cases of inmates in critical condition but rather continue to reinforce preventive measures. We have prepared a sickbay for inmates in quarantine where they are attended to like other Rwandans or transferred to other hospitals when necessary. We continue to adhere to health guidelines because we are aware of how severe the situation would be if we become complacent,' said SSP Gakwaya.
He suspected that the virus might be spread by food suppliers from outside because RCS has taken strict preventive measures like halting works out of prisons' premises.
'All works out of prisons have been halted. New cases make us suspect food suppliers from outside because we respect preventive measures. Otherwise, we have to wait for Ministry of Health and Rwanda Biomedical Centre report to shed light on probable causes,' noted SSP Gakwaya.
Rwanda confirmed the first COVID-19 patient on 14th March 2020. So far, 8021 people have been tested positive out of 719 482 sample tests of whom 6339 have recovered, 1607 are active cases while 75 have succumbed to the virus.
Coronavirus symptoms include coughing, flu, and difficulty in breathing. The virus is said to be transmitted through the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract.
Rwandans are urged to adhere to COVID-19 health guidelines, washing hands frequently using soaps and safe water, wearing face masks and respecting social distancing.
IGIHE
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/no-critically-ill-inmate-rcs
