Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Saturday lifted the Covid-19 restrictions following a 72% reduction in new cases within Nairobi.
Other counties that had been affected by the restrictions were Machakos, Kiambu, Kajiado and Nakuru.
Initially, the Interior Ministry through a gazette notice had announced 60 days extension in the night curfew in the country’s five worst-affected counties.
The counties had been classified as diseased zone due to a high prevalence of Covid-19.
In a televised address to mark Labour Day celebrations, President Kenyatta said, “This caseload has now gone down to below 15,000 for the month of April, signifying a 74% decrease in infections in Nairobi.”
He added that after one month of lockdown, the COVID caseload within the zoned area had come down by 72%.
In other areas of the Republic, the COVID caseload fell by 89% in Mombasa and 90% in Busia between March and April 2021.
End of April, the country had recorded 59,318 positive cases and 2,724 fatalities, according to the health ministry.
In his announcement, he reinstated the 10 pm to 4 am curfew within the zones from 8 am.
“That the hours of curfew in the Zoned Area are revised to commence at 10:00 pm and end at 4:00 am, with effect from midnight on this 1st day of May 2021, until otherwise directed,” he noted.
Bars across the country may now operate on restricted hours, restaurants are allowed to open, and sporting events and religious services authorised with caps on attendance.
Speaking during the Labour Day celebrations President Kenyatta has assured parents, that the school calendar will not change. All schools will resume on May 10, 2021.
“That all our education institutions in all levels of learning shall re-open in accordance with the calendar issued by the Ministry of Education,” he said.
The Ministry of Health reported 735 new cases of Covid-19 on Saturday from a sample size of 5,758 tested in the last 24 hours. This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 160,035 and the cumulative tests are 1,675,310.
The country’s positivity rate is at 12.8 per cent.
224 people were reported to have recovered from the disease bringing the total number of recoveries to 108,789.
884,858 people have been vaccinated against Covid-19 countrywide.
A total of 157,967 healthcare workers have been vaccinated, 137,348 teachers and 74,272 security officers have also received the vaccine.
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