KIGALI, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Rwandan Health Ministry on Friday reported 257 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, the first single-day increase that surpasses 200 since March 2020.
The new cases were reported in different parts of the country, while a majority of 159 cases were in the capital city Kigali, according to the ministry's daily updates.
Friday's new cases took the total tally across the country to 10,573 cases with 7,028 recoveries and 138 deaths.
Earlier in the day, the Rwanda Biomedical Center said it launched random mass screening in Kigali and upcountry towns on Thursday to get the latest status on the prevalence of the virus in the country, following a recent surge which was attributed to laxity and complacency on observing COVID-19 preventive measures by officials.
The testing to conclude on Sunday targets over 4,000 people, mostly those living outside Kigali.
Edson Rwagasore, Epidemic Surveillance Response Division manager at the Rwanda Biomedical Center, told local media in an interview that the mass testing are necessary to help identify places with higher COVID-19 prevalence. Enditem
