The ban on all forms of gatherings be it social, political and including bars in the country has been extended for a further 30 days.
Due to the increase in patterns of infections of Covid 19, the cessation of movement into and out of the Nairobi metropolitan area, Mombasa and Mandera has also been extended by 30 days.
However, the cessation of movement into and out of the Eastleigh Area of Nairobi as well as Mombasa old town area that was in place has been lifted and shall lapse at 4.00 a.m. tomorrow 7th.
President Uhuru Kenyatta who was today giving a direction following the lapse of the various measures that the government had put in place as it addresses Covid 19 disease, added that Counties of Kilifi and Kwale whose movement in and out of the counties were being enforced have also been lifted and shall lapse at 4.00 a.m. tomorrow 7th June.
Due to the evolving nature of Covid 19 disease, the President further said that international travel restrictions have also been extended but the ministry of Transport has been directed to within 7 days’ engage stakeholders to develop protocols to guide resumption of local air travel.
However the President noted that the nationwide dusk – to – dawn curfew currently in force until today has been extended by 30 more days with the commencement time now being from 9.00 pm to 4.a.m and not 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. as the previous one since this will accord all Kenyans the opportunity to enjoy a full-day’s work.
On matters Education, President Uhuru asked the Ministry of Education jointly with the Ministry of Health to publicize guidelines on a gradual and progressive return to normalcy by Third term which is from 1st of September
“The ministry should announce the new school calendar by mid-august”, he said
The interfaith and religious organizations have been asked to consult with the ministry of interior and health with seven days to constitute an interfaith council to work out modalities and protocols of re-opening of the place of worship.
When announcing all the changes, President Uhuru said that if the government had not taken the stringent measures that it did in March, the rate of infections would have peaked to 800,000 people by July 30th 2020.
“If one infected person has potential to infect two people, this number would have hit 2.4 million people in 21 days. By the end of august, 75,000 Kenyans would have died from this virus. But because of the early interventions we took, we have recorded only 2,600 infections and 83 deaths”, the president said.
President Uhuru noted that in order to consider the possibility of de-escalating the containment measures in place and conscious that Health is a shared function between the National and County Governments, he has convened an Extra-Ordinary session of the National and County Government coordinating Summit on Wednesday the 10th of June, 2020,
The meeting, the president said will review the effectiveness of the containment measures so far rolled out to break the chain of transmission of the Coronavirus Disease, to secure the undertaking of every County Government to deliver isolation facilities with at least 300 bed-capacity and also to within 14 days, to develop time bound protocols for progressive re-opening of the economy.
The President has assured every Kenyan that he shall do all that is necessary to limit the negative effects of COVID-19 on the People, Economy and Way of Life. “Rest assured, my Administration will restore our lost livelihoods, our lost opportunities and our lost wealth”, President Uhuru said.
By Wangari Ndirangu
Government Eases Covid 19 Measures
