<p>The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 presents a major public health challenge globally. Rwanda reported the first COVID-19 case on March 14, 2020 which was followed by a nationwide lockdown on March 20, 2020. To date Rwanda has registered more than 130,000 confirmed cases with 1,467 deaths. The majority of COVID-19 cases occurred in the capital city of Kigali and several border towns before community transmission. The COVID-19 pandemic presented several unique challenges including the lack of critical epidemiological capacity in rural sub national levels hindering the ability for effective response to the pandemic outside Kigali City</p>