The government has extended the nationwide curfew for another 30 days as part of measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, the positivity rate still remains high, hence the need to extend the containment measures. Mutahi made the announcement on Monday, October 4 as the curfew hours remain 10 pm to 4 am.
Other containment measures including operation hours for bars and restaurants as well as the ban on gatherings remain as previously announced.
While releasing the statement, he affirmed that the period would be used to vaccinate as many people as possible. He noted that the country had experienced a positive outlook on the Covid-19 positivity rate that stands at 2.7 percent.
“We hope to vaccinate more people during the period that we have announced. As we head for the Christmas holidays, we need to ensure that as many people in this country have been vaccinated as possible.” Mutahi Kagwe said.
The announcement comes on a day a health expert urged the government to lift the dusk to dawn curfew and train its focus on vaccinating people.
The government, however, has been urging Kenyans to adhere to the directive stipulated by the Ministry of Health in a bid to lower the Covid-19 infections.
Uhuru, in a previous address, pointed out that the measures were a vital step in the mitigation of the effects of the global pandemic.
He noted that the government would be taking steps in easing the restrictions put in place as they continue to monitor the infection rates.
On Sunday, 3rd October, 91 new infections were confirmed from a sample size of 3,435 tested in the last 24 hours, pushing the total confirmed positive cases to 250,114. A total of 3,874,083 Kenyans have been vaccinated while 250,114 positive cases have been confirmed in total.