Schoolgirls get their temperature taken before returning to classes at Lycee Notre dame de Citeaux school in Kigali, Rwanda, on November 2, 2020. Schools closed for months due to Covid-19 restrictions. AFP
Schoolgirls get their temperature taken before returning to classes at Lycee Notre dame de Citeaux school in Kigali, Rwanda, on November 2, 2020. Schools closed for months due to Covid-19 restrictions. AFP
Schoolgirls get their temperature taken before returning to classes at Lycee Notre dame de Citeaux school in Kigali, Rwanda, on November 2, 2020. Schools closed for months due to Covid-19 restrictions. AFP
Schoolgirls get their temperature taken before returning to classes at Lycee Notre dame de Citeaux school in Kigali, Rwanda, on November 2, 2020. Schools closed for months due to Covid-19 restrictions

Drones, robots and random testing: How tech-savvy Rwanda took control of Covid-19 twice


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Anyone in Kigali today will find it bustling again after two punishing lockdowns, but life is far from normal in Rwanda’s capital.

Huge banks of sinks and soap dispensers dot the city. Drones hover overhead, barking orders to mask up and keep a safe distance. At junctions, drivers, cyclists and pedestrians are tested at random by throngs of healthcare workers.

Last month, UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps added Rwanda to the country's "red list". UK citizens and permanent residents arriving back from red list countries must now self-isolate in mandatory quarantine at approved hotels for 10 days, while other travellers from red list countries are barred from entering the UK.

While Mr Shapps said this was in response to new evidence showing “the likely spread of a coronavirus variant identified in South Africa”, Kigali was furious.

Rwanda's government said "the sparse information communicated to Rwanda does not stand up to scientific scrutiny" and demanded clarification over the "arbitrary decision".

A Rwandan police drone fitted with a megaphone flies over a Kigali neighbourhood to enforce Covid-19 regulations. Reuters
A Rwandan police drone fitted with a megaphone flies over a Kigali neighbourhood to enforce Covid-19 regulations. Reuters

More than two weeks on, the tiny nation has successfully subdued a continent-wide second wave of Covid-19, restoring its reputation as one of the world's strongest and most tech-savvy pandemic responders.

Defined by innovation, decentralisation and high public trust, Rwanda strategy now offers a blueprint for countries not just in Africa, but worldwide.

The Rwanda story confirms that Covid does not change a system, it exposes a system

In all, Rwanda has recorded almost 17,500 cases and 239 deaths. Belgium, which has roughly the same population, has tallied 739,000 cases and more than 21,700 deaths.

"The Rwanda story confirms that Covid does not change a system, it exposes a system," said Joachim Osur, technical director of programmes at Amref Health Africa, a medical care NGO. "Because the health system in Rwanda was functional and effective, it was easy for them to manage Covid."

Rwanda lives with the scars of its 1994 genocide, which saw up to a million Tutsis and moderate Hutus slaughtered by roving Hutu gangs. In its aftermath, the country's health system was rebuilt from scratch and has since weathered various infectious disease outbreaks – notably HIV.

When coronavirus struck, Rwanda’s systems and strategies kicked into gear.

"The main machines we are using for Covid testing are the HIV machines that were [already] there," Sabin Nsanzimana, director general of the Rwanda Biomedical Centre, which is in charge of tackling Covid-19, told NPR last year.

"We are using the same structure, same people, same infrastructure and laboratory diagnostics, but applying it to Covid testing."

Today, the Lowy Institute, a Sydney-based think tank, ranks Rwanda sixth in the world for its pandemic response – nine places above the nearest African country.

However, Rwanda's success was far from certain when Covid-19 first breached its borders last March.

A laboratory technician processes samples for testing Covid-19, at the Rwanda Biomedical Center, in Kigali, Rwanda. AFP
A laboratory technician processes samples for testing Covid-19, at the Rwanda Biomedical Center, in Kigali, Rwanda. AFP

Despite averaging seven per cent GDP growth annually since 2000, Rwanda remains a low-income country and did not have an abundance of ventilators or hospital beds for its 12 million citizens.

Instead, the country’s first wave of Covid-19 was subdued with a rapid, free, random and aggressive testing campaign and a contact-tracing operation that put wealthy Western countries to shame. As of February 14 this year, Rwanda had conducted 948,000 tests.

Rwanda's health system – steeped in years and years of trust-building and local empowerment – lends itself extraordinarily well to confronting a virus that requires each individual to play a role

On March 21, 2020, with 17 cases of the virus, President Paul Kagame's government became the first in sub-Saharan Africa to impose a total shutdown, which lasted six weeks, with a phased reopening plan. The country has maintained a fluid curfew.

An estimated 60,000 healthcare workers pounded the pavements, testing at random, not just in Kigali but nationwide. Those who tested positive were quarantined at dedicated clinics. Contact tracers – including community health workers, university students and police – then tracked down their contacts, and quarantined them while they were tested.

“The foundations of Rwanda's health system – which are steeped in years and years of trust-building and local empowerment – lend themselves extraordinarily well to confronting a virus that requires each individual to play a role,” said Eli Cahan, a journalist who has covered Rwanda's health system and is a researcher at Stanford's Clinical Excellence Research Centre.

The manner in which Rwanda decentralised its response – with national and regional command centres and elected community health workers at village level – quickly made it a darling of the World Health Organisation.

Rwanda also pioneered pool testing, which sees dozens of swabs tested at once, and then tested individually only if the group returns a positive result. That allowed the east African country, where GDP per person is just $2,000 and a Covid test costs up to $100, to lower costs and increase speed.

“Political will is key," said Mr Osur. “Compared say to Tanzania, political alignment to science has played a big role in fighting the pandemic [in Rwanda].”

Tanzania's President John Magufuli, has suggested Covid-19 is a hoax and has fuelled anti-vaxxer conspiracy theories.

Mr Kagame's government has credited the low caseload with public co-operation. Indeed, mobile phone data shows that Rwandans have been the second-best social distancers on the continent, after South Africans.

"When the government closes the borders and sends everyone home ... the people must know these actions are not against them, but for them," Agnes Binagwaho, a former Rwandan health minister and architect of its healthcare system, said in a recent interview with the British Medical Journal.

“That’s the only way they’ll comply with the guidance.”

Engineers give instructions to a robot donated by the UN's development programme, at Kanyinya Covid-19 treatment centre, in Kigali, Rwanda. Reuters
Engineers give instructions to a robot donated by the UN's development programme, at Kanyinya Covid-19 treatment centre, in Kigali, Rwanda. Reuters

Perhaps most impressive, though, was Rwanda's technology-enabled approach, which saw robots deployed to clinics and airports to screen passengers, and drones taking to the air over streets.

Rights groups suggest fear could be a motivator in a country where Mr Kagame – a former rebel commander in power for almost 21 years – rules with an iron fist. Those breaking curfew or not wearing masks are reportedly forced to endure all-night lectures on the perils of the coronavirus.

People who have broken Covid-19 regulations must sit and listen to prevention speeches for several hours in Nyamirambo stadium, in Kigali, Rwanda. AFP
People who have broken Covid-19 regulations must sit and listen to prevention speeches for several hours in Nyamirambo stadium, in Kigali, Rwanda. AFP

Still, the country was not immune to the second wave sweeping the region, witnessing its deadliest month so far in January, with more than half of Rwanda's total coronavirus deaths. The spike – which mainly affected the capital – came amid fears of a fast-spreading new variant, first identified in South Africa.

On January 18, Kigali was once again placed under a 15-day lockdown – ultimately extended by a week – and schools, businesses and churches were closed, leaving Africa’s cleanest capital deserted. Tens of thousands of needy households were supplied with food.

"Let no Rwandan worry where they will get their food for the next two weeks due to this lockdown. Institutions are around to assist," said local government minister Anastase Shyaka. "What we ask Rwandans is that they should fear Covid-19 more than they fear hunger."

From a pandemic peak of 574 new cases on January 26, the country’s new case count began to fall, dipping as low as 76 on February 14.

Rwanda is not out of the woods yet, but is among the six first African nations to get the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. On Sunday, the health ministry said it had started immunising healthcare workers with vaccines acquired "through international partnerships in limited quantities".

Later this month, it will begin getting doses from Covax, a global initiative to supply vaccines to low-income countries. Covax promises to vaccinate 20 per cent of Rwanda's population, supplying around two million doses.

Rwanda's President Paul Kagame has questioned why poor countries are not receiving the same access to Covid-19 vaccines as wealthy nations. Reuters
Rwanda's President Paul Kagame has questioned why poor countries are not receiving the same access to Covid-19 vaccines as wealthy nations. Reuters

That has not stopped Mr Kagame from rebuking wealthy countries for buying up vaccine stocks.

"Ensuring equitable access to vaccines globally during a pandemic is not only a moral issue, but an economic imperative to protect the wellbeing of people everywhere," the Rwandan president wrote in The Guardian on February 7.

“But when will Africa get the protection it needs? If all lives are equal, why isn’t access to vaccines?

Last Monday, Kigali's lockdown was lifted, sparking relief among its residents. The Covid-19 pandemic, though, is ever-present; from the mask-wearing motorbike taxi riders to the eye-catching street murals quoting government health advice.

Despite the pain it has caused, the legacy of Rwanda’s strong Covid-19 response, and its use of technology, is likely to serve as an example to African countries for decades to come.

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKinetic%207%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rick%20Parish%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Clean%20cooking%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self-funded%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
%3Cp%3EMATA%0D%3Cbr%3EArtist%3A%20M.I.A%0D%3Cbr%3ELabel%3A%20Island%0D%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

Guardians%20of%20the%20Galaxy%20Vol%203
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJames%20Gunn%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Chris%20Pratt%2C%20Zoe%20Saldana%2C%20Dave%20Bautista%2C%20Vin%20Diesel%2C%20Bradley%20Cooper%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Sour%20Grapes
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Gertrude Bell's life in focus

A feature film

At one point, two feature films were in the works, but only German director Werner Herzog’s project starring Nicole Kidman would be made. While there were high hopes he would do a worthy job of directing the biopic, when Queen of the Desert arrived in 2015 it was a disappointment. Critics panned the film, in which Herzog largely glossed over Bell’s political work in favour of her ill-fated romances.

A documentary

A project that did do justice to Bell arrived the next year: Sabine Krayenbuhl and Zeva Oelbaum’s Letters from Baghdad: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Gertrude Bell. Drawing on more than 1,000 pieces of archival footage, 1,700 documents and 1,600 letters, the filmmakers painstakingly pieced together a compelling narrative that managed to convey both the depth of Bell’s experience and her tortured love life.

Books, letters and archives

Two biographies have been written about Bell, and both are worth reading: Georgina Howell’s 2006 book Queen of the Desert and Janet Wallach’s 1996 effort Desert Queen. Bell published several books documenting her travels and there are also several volumes of her letters, although they are hard to find in print. Original documents are housed at the Gertrude Bell Archive at the University of Newcastle, which has an online catalogue.
 

if you go

The flights

Air France offer flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to Cayenne, connecting in Paris from Dh7,300.

The tour

Cox & Kings (coxandkings.com) has a 14-night Hidden Guianas tour of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. It includes accommodation, domestic flights, transfers, a local tour manager and guided sightseeing. Contact for price.

Four-day collections of TOH

Day             Indian Rs (Dh)        

Thursday    500.75 million (25.23m)

Friday         280.25m (14.12m)

Saturday     220.75m (11.21m)

Sunday       170.25m (8.58m)

Total            1.19bn (59.15m)

(Figures in millions, approximate)

UAE Falcons

Carly Lewis (captain), Emily Fensome, Kelly Loy, Isabel Affley, Jessica Cronin, Jemma Eley, Jenna Guy, Kate Lewis, Megan Polley, Charlie Preston, Becki Quigley and Sophie Siffre. Deb Jones and Lucia Sdao – coach and assistant coach.

 
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Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
  • Flexible work arrangements
  • Pension support
  • Mental well-being assistance
  • Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
  • Financial well-being incentives 
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MATCH INFO

Leeds United 0

Brighton 1 (Maupay 17')

Man of the match: Ben White (Brighton)

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Company profile

Date started: 2015

Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki

Based: Dubai

Sector: Online grocery delivery

Staff: 200

Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends

AGUERO'S PREMIER LEAGUE RECORD

Apps: 186
Goals: 127
Assists: 31
Wins: 117
Losses: 33

Company Profile

Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million

Results

Female 49kg: Mayssa Bastos (BRA) bt Thamires Aquino (BRA); points 0-0 (advantage points points 1-0).

Female 55kg: Bianca Basilio (BRA) bt Amal Amjahid (BEL); points 4-2.

Female 62kg: Beatriz Mesquita (BRA) v Ffion Davies (GBR); 10-2.

Female 70kg: Thamara Silva (BRA) bt Alessandra Moss (AUS); submission.

Female 90kg: Gabreili Passanha (BRA) bt Claire-France Thevenon (FRA); submission.

Male 56kg: Hiago George (BRA) bt Carlos Alberto da Silva (BRA); 2-2 (2-0)

Male 62kg: Gabriel de Sousa (BRA) bt Joao Miyao (BRA); 2-2 (2-1)

Male 69kg: Paulo Miyao (BRA) bt Isaac Doederlein (USA); 2-2 (2-2) Ref decision.

Male 77kg: Tommy Langarkar (NOR) by Oliver Lovell (GBR); submission.

Male 85kg: Rudson Mateus Teles (BRA) bt Faisal Al Ketbi (UAE); 2-2 (1-1) Ref decision.

Male 94kg: Kaynan Duarte (BRA) bt Adam Wardzinski (POL); submission.

Male 110kg: Joao Rocha (BRA) bt Yahia Mansoor Al Hammadi (UAE); submission.

The%20specs
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'Unrivaled: Why America Will Remain the World’s Sole Superpower'
Michael Beckley, Cornell Press

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EYango%20Deli%20Tech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERetail%20SaaS%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESelf%20funded%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A