DR Congo relaxes COVID-19 restrictions

By Rodrigue Forku

YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AA) - The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) late Tuesday lifted the curfew in provinces with low numbers of COVID-19 infections.

Curfew in the capital Kinshasa, which is also experiencing a downward trend in cases, was pushed to 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. local time.

The Central African country imposed a curfew in December 2020 from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. to curb the spread of the coronavirus as cases were on the rise between November - December.

The decision was announced after a meeting between President Felix Tshisekedi and members of the country's COVID-19 Task Force. They assessed the epidemiological situation in the country as well as related measures.

The presidency also said the COVID-19 vaccination campaign will start on April 19, reassuring "that the AstraZeneca vaccine, available in the DRC, does not present any inconvenience to the population."

The country has so far recorded 28,665 coronavirus cases, with 25,841 recoveries and 745 deaths, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.