The embassy will reopen its doors to the public starting Monday, October 21, 2024, for all services that had been suspended, including American citizen services and visa interviews.
"Starting Monday, October 21, 2024, the U.S. Embassy will reopen to the public for all in-person services, including assistance for American citizens and visa services and interviews," the embassy said in a notice published on its official website.
The embassy had earlier stated that the decision to suspend all in-person services at its offices following the announcement of the Marburg outbreak in Rwanda on September 27, 2024, was made out of an abundance of caution as the government assessed the severity of the MVD outbreak.
During the period, embassy staff were authorized to work remotely.
The reopening of the embassy to the public comes after Rwanda's Health Minister, Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, termed the country's progress in managing the Marburg virus outbreak as positive. He attributed the trend to heightened contact tracing and ongoing vaccination trials.
Speaking during a recent press conference, the minister said Rwanda hopes to report no new cases or deaths for several days. No new cases have been reported for about a week now.
'We believe that this ring vaccination [for the close contacts of confirmed cases] has played a big role. And also, we believe that the intensive work being done on the ground is helping to capture all the cases and their contacts,' Dr. Nsanzimana told members of the press on October 17, 2024.
'So briefly, I just wanted to share this good news that the trend is positive, and that we're going to hopefully soonâ€"or as soon as possibleâ€"have zero cases for several days and zero deaths for several days,' he said.
According to the minister, since the outbreak, all new confirmed cases have been within the hospital cluster in Kigali and their contacts, all of whom are under isolation and treatment. There is no evidence of community transmission in Rwanda.
Rwanda has so far confirmed 62 cases, 15 deaths, and 44 recoveries. Cumulative tests stand at more than 4,700.
The Marburg virus, which causes hemorrhagic fever, spreads from person to person through direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs, or other bodily fluids of infected individuals. It can also be transmitted by touching contaminated surfaces or materials, such as bedding and clothing. This transmission can occur through broken skin or mucous membranes, such as those found in the eyes, nose, or mouth.
Preventive measures include avoiding contact with infected individuals, practicing good hygiene, wearing protective clothing when caring for someone infected or working in a high-risk environment, and avoiding contact with infected animals, especially fruit bats and non-human primates. Humans are also advised to avoid touching or consuming bushmeat.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/us-embassy-in-kigali-to-reopen-for-in-person-services
