Foreign Minister Biruta meets China's envoy to Rwanda to express solidarity on Coronavirus outbreak

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hon. Vincent Biruta met His Excellency Rao Hongwei, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Rwanda, to express solidarity with the people and Government of China on the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.

Minister Biruta said in a statement: “We have expressed our appreciation to China on their handling of the coronavirus outbreak and their support to foreign nationals including Rwandans living in Hubei Province. We remain confident in China’s ability to manage this outbreak and contribution to a coordinated global mechanism.”

The Minister also thanked the Ambassador for support and provision of food and basic necessities are given to the 155 Rwandans living in Hubei province, by the local authorities in collaboration with the Embassy of Rwanda in Beijing, according to the statement. 

Rwanda continues to monitor the outbreak in partnership with China, the World Health Organization, and other stakeholders.

Earlier today, the National carrier RwandAir announced that they have temporarily suspended flights with immediate effect between the Rwandan capital, Kigali, and the Chinese city of Guangzhou. 

The decision will be reviewed later in February. 

The suspension of Kigali-Guangzhou flights follows the declaration of the coronavirus outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organisation. 

About CORONAVIRUS

Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). On 7 January, a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans was discovered in China, known as coronavirus, which encompasses a family of viruses such as the common cold, SARS, and MER. The virus was originally reported from a seafood and animal market in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China. The new virus was named 2019-nCoV, novel coronavirus.

Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people, and common species include camels, cattle, cats, and bats. Detailed investigations, however, found that animal coronaviruses can infect people and spread between people, as in the case of MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV.

In regards to 2019-nCoV, there are a growing number of cases in patients who had not been exposed to animal markets, causing belief that the infection can spread from person-to-person. While the epidemiology remains largely unknown, it is advised to take precautions to protect yourself from getting sick and to seek immediate medical attention if you are sick and have recently traveled to an affected area.

Cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Wuhan City, other areas in China, and internationally.