Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has lifted the mandatory wearing of face masks in open public places.
Speaking Friday during a press briefing on the current status of COVID-19 in the Country, the CS nonetheless called on Kenyans to maintain social distancing and avoid crowding even in public spaces to ensure risk of spread is limited.
He, however encouraged the use of masks in all indoor functions.
The CS noted that the Ministry of Health has been conducting periodic reviews of COVID-19 outbreak containment measures ranging from quarantine, isolation, travel restrictions, restrictions on gatherings and enforcement of wearing of masks in public places based on guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO), on Public Health considerations and the evolving epidemiological situation globally.
” Because of these measures, our positivity rate has remained below 5% over the last few months. Particularly for the last one month, that is since 10th February, 2022, our positivity rate has been 1% and below. This has been realized as a result of the cooperation of Kenyans particularly in taking up vaccination,” said the CS.
He however called on Kenyans to continue to adhere to the Public Health and Social Measures and exercise personal responsibility.
Another measure the government revised was on gatherings, where the CS said all in-person worship will resume at full capacity as long as all the congregants and worshipers are vaccinated.
He at the same time called on the Interfaith Council to develop protocols to facilitate resumption of full congregational worship, with full capacity of venues where all congregants are vaccinated.
” All other in-person indoor meetings to resume at full capacity of the venue as long as all the participants are vaccinated. All attendees should be encouraged to wear facemask at the meeting venues as noted. Event organisers are required to ensure this is followed as they will take responsibility for events at which unvaccinated people are present,” added the CS.
Temperature screenings at public spaces will however continue.
On Sporting Activities, Kagwe said protocols in the Ministry of Sports will be revised for spectators to be allowed back into the sporting venues as long as they are vaccinated while he called on the Ministry of Education to develop and implement protocols to allow for the full resumption of sporting activities in learning institutions.
The CS ordered for all quarantine of vaccinated and unvaccinated contacts to be stopped with immediate effect.
“Positive asymptomatic cases need not isolate but shall observe 5 days and return to work thereafter without need for further testing. Return to work after isolation for those who may have been symptomatic must always take into consideration the individual’s clinical status. Only those patients declared well enough to work by a qualified healthcare worker should resume work,” said Kagwe.
Another measure which was revised was in the transport sector where all passenger service vehicles, train and domestic air flight services will resume at full conveyance capacity as long as the operators ensure their staff are fully vaccinated while all travelers must have their face masks on at all times during the course of travel.
For travelers who are fully vaccinated, the CS said they will be exempted from the requirement of a PCR test.
“All eligible unvaccinated travelers arriving at any port of entry into Kenya, must have a negative COVID-19 PCR test result conducted not more than 72 hours before departure, regardless of the route of entry. Those below the age of five (5) years are exempted from this testing requirement. Unvaccinated travelers arriving at any point of entry shall be subjected to rapid antigen test at their own cost of 30 USD. Any person who tests positive on antigen RDT will be subjected to entry PCR test at their own further cost of 50 USD and self-isolate. Travelers below the age of five (5) years are exempted from this testing requirement,” said Kagwe.
For those travelers arriving at any port of entry into Kenya they will be required to fill the passenger locator fonn on the ‘Jitenge’ platfonn.
While truck drivers and travelers from Eastern Africa Community Countries who are fully vaccinated will not require a COVID-19 PCR test for entry into Kenya.
” Unvaccinated truck drivers shall be required to be in possession of a negative COVID-19 PCR test with a validity of a maximum 14 days prior to travel,” Said the CS.
Persons traveling out of the Country will be required to abide by the particular travel, health and COVID-19 related requirements of the destination country.
Vaccination
Kagwe noted that to date, the Government has managed to administer over 17.8 million vaccines across the Country.
” We are however scaling up countrywide COVID-19 vaccination campaign through a whole-government whole-society approach leveraging on National Government Agencies, County Governments, Faith Based Organizations, and the Private Sector. It is only through these efforts that we shall ensure a return to normalcy as vaccination is the proven long-term measure for halting the pandemic,” noted the CS.
The CS was however quick to note that the measures announced may be reviewed at any time, and the Ministry of Health can administer ad-hoc measures, including arrival testing based on the prevailing pandemic situation, and epidemiologic situation of the country of departure.
He at the same time appealed to Kenyans who have not been vaccinated to get vaccinated saying the ministry has enough doses of vaccines for all eligible Kenyans.
On Saturday, 12th March, 2022, the country will mark exactly two years since the first case of Coronavirus disease was detected and reported in the country.
