At least 164 were arrested on Saturday, April 10, in Nyamata Sector of Bugesera District for flouting government directives meant to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The violators were arrested in operations conducted by Rwanda National Police (RNP) and local leaders.
The District Police Commander (DPC) for Bugesera, Superintendent of Police (SP) Issa Bacondo and the district vice mayor in charge of Social Affairs, Yvette Imanishimwe led the three-hour inspection and enforcement.
The majority violators were found in public places either without face mask or wearing them badly; and traders without hand-washing points for their customers.
The violators were taken to Nyamata stadium, where they were sensitized on the government directives as well as hygiene and safety practices against the pandemic.
The vice mayor warned that being complacent can drive the country to another wave to infections.
“Coronavirus is still here, you can hardly know who is infected and who is not. The only way to fight and prevent its spread is to follow the health guidelines,” Imanishimwe told the violators.
She added that some people undermine the directives intentionally adding that local authorities will continue to work together to enforce the directives and ensure violators are penalized.
The DPC, SP Issa Bacondo warned that Police will not wither to enforce the directives and to arrest violators.
“It is the responsibility of everyone to protect each other from this virus, but that starts from individual compliance and reporting violators, who expose others to the risk of getting infected with the Coronavirus,” SP Bacondo said.
The violators were also handed administrative fines.
