Tighter anti-Covid measures as DR Congo fights third wave
Wednesday June 16 2021
DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi. PHOTO | FILE | NMG
DR Congo President Félix Tshisekedi on Tuesday re-imposed several measures aimed at combating the third wave of Covid-19 infections, which was declared on June 3.
The Congolese President on Tuesday restricted public gatherings and social functions, and issued a compulsory hand-washing or sanitisation order, in addition to directing the closure of entertainment joints.
The President, who is on a tour of North Kivu where he has been staying since Saturday, listed six essential measures to fight the third wave of infections.
Among them is a curfew from 10pm to 4am local time, with military and police patrols.
People in public spaces will be required to wear masks, and funerals and other vigils will have no more than 20 people attending.
All public places will be required to have handwashing facilities or a provision for people to use alcohol-based sanitisers.
Entry into public markets will be subject to taking the temperature measurements, washing hands and wearing a mask.
Bodies will not be kept at home and burials must happen on the same day remains are retrieved from mortuaries, while health checks at national posts and borders will be reinforced.
The obligation to present a negative test carried out within 72 hours remains applicable and any entry into the national territory remains subject to the completion of a new test, which no one can waive.
The closure of discos and nightclubs will last 15 days but restaurants will remain open under the conditions of strict compliance with health guidelines.
Churches are required to reduce the number of participants in services according to the capacity of the place of worship.
After the announcement of the measures, Kinshasa residents said they were relieved because there was neither confinement nor closure of schools, universities and borders.
Covid-19 has already killed 846 people in the DRC.
The public has largely been hesitant to take the vaccines and most abandoned masks once the government lifted travel restrictions last August.