BUJUMBURA, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The government of Burundi on Monday launched a second nationwide mass screening campaign of COVID-19, as the coronavirus cases have been increasing in recent days.
The 30-day campaign is taking place in the commercial capital Bujumbura and several provinces where cases have been reported.
Burundian Minister of Public Health and the Fight Against AIDS Thaddee Ndikumana encouraged more people to join the campaign to know about their status at a launching event.
Since last week, 100 out of 5,300 persons who had been in contact with the confirmed COVID-19 patients tested positive, Ndikumana said.
He urged Burundian people and foreigners living in the country to respect hygiene measures of washing hands with soap, avoiding handshakes and hugs, and social distancing.
The campaign is part of the new measures announced by the government last Friday to fight against the pandemic.
Other measures effective from Monday included closing all land and water borders, extending the quarantine period for travelers entering Burundi by air from three days to seven days and conducting two COVID-19 tests for them.
The first nationwide mass screening campaign starting in July last year lasted three months, which led to positive results according to the Burundian government.
Since March 2020, the central African nation has recorded nearly 1,000 COVID-19 cases with two deaths. Enditem
