23rd March
I've still got plenty of work to do at home. Surprisingly the days pass by quickly. I can no longer get Netflix unless I wake up very early in the morning. There seems to be high traffic on the network and the speed and connection slow down noticeably after 7:00. This also makes it frustrating for Skype calls. I'm grateful I've brought some knitting with me, and I've finish a doll I made for a colleague's daughter - I send a photo to my team telling them I've knitted myself a friend to keep me company. They message back some names to give her.
The Ministry of Health issue a photo of an ambulance and medics outside a house with crowds gathering. They reassure people that they are checking on the health and condition of people who have been traced as contacts with those who have been diagnosed. Later in the day a truck passes by with a loudspeaker, speaking in Kinyarawandan. My landlady tells me they are reassuring people that they are collecting all those who have had contact with coronovirus patients and isolating them, and advising people to stay at home. Those with the virus go to a specialist medical centre, and those who have just had contact but no symptoms are put into a special hotel.
To discourage people from panic buying and stock piling groceries, the Ministry of Trade and Industry has set maximum quantities of food that people can buy, not that I have seen any attempts at this, and shops are still stocked with food.
My youngest son sends me a photo of a UK government alert, stating that people may only leave home to go to work if they're a key worker, to infrequently shop for essentials, for exercise once a day or to provide care or help for an elderly or vulnerable person.
I'm pleased to hear he has been told to work from home, so no more underground for him.
New York warns of major shortages of key medical supplies including ventilators within 10 days. They have 42,164 cases. The UK has 6,650. Italy finally sees a slow down in cases.
In Rwanda, 17 more cases were identified today bring the total to 36.