Another Lockdown In The Offing As Cs Kagwe Holds A Crisis Meeting

Health Cabinet Secretary, CS, Mutahi Kagwe, has called for a crisis meeting to deliberate on the possibility of enforcing new Covid-19 restrictions ahead of the Christmas celebrations. The meeting is slated for Tuesday among members of the National Emergency Response Committee (NERC).

The CS summoned the National Emergency Response Committee (NERC) to analyze Kenya’s preparedness to handle the spread of the new Omicron virus variant tracked in South Africa.

Kenya may see the return of a nationwide curfew and lockdowns as citizens get ready for the festive season. The country also anticipates an influx in tourists’ numbers according to the sentiments by the CS.

He nonetheless, urged the country to wait for NERC’s deliberations, adding that the committee will hold a press conference on Tuesday, November 30, to announce the new measures.

On Friday, November 26, the acting Director-General for Health, Patrick Amoth, announced that all passengers from South African countries must undergo quarantine after arriving in Kenya. The arrivals were also directed to undergo repeated testing on entry following the emergence of the South African variant.

Our National Public Health Emergency Operation Centre is still fully activated to facilitate coordination of response to the pandemic. Stand-by trained Rapid Response Teams at both national, county, and sub-county levels are on high alert for immediate investigative deployment,” Amoth stated.

The National Emergency Response Committee was established in February 2020 to guide the government’s COVID-19 response and it is chaired by CS Kagwe.

The meeting comes two days after Health Principal Secretary Susan Mochache stated that there are no plans at the moment to ban people traveling from countries hit by the new Omicron COVID-19 variant from entering the country.

Mochache said the government has intensified surveillance at the entry points to the country and all persons will be screened and show proof that they have been vaccinated.

She further urged Kenyans to continue observing the MoH guidelines on combating the spread of the disease, so that the country can remain open to allow economic recovery, especially in this festive season when the tourism industry is expected to pick up.

Kenya is yet to join other countries such as Rwanda and the US in imposing travel restrictions for Southern Africa countries

President Uhuru Kenyatta lifted the nationwide curfew and fully reopened the country on Wednesday, October 20, during the Mashujaa Day celebrations.