An elderly woman receives COVID-19 vaccine jab during the launch of a mass vaccination exercise in Dagoretti area, Nairobi, capital of Kenya, on Feb. 3, 2022. (Xinhua/Fred Mutune)
Kenya's Ministry of Health has announced suspension of public health measures aimed at containing the spread of coronavirus, as infections and fatalities subside countrywide.
NAIROBI, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's Ministry of Health on Friday announced suspension of public health measures aimed at containing the spread of coronavirus, as infections and fatalities subside countrywide.
Mutahi Kagwe, cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Health, said the lifting of the mask wearing mandate and a ban on public gatherings was informed by a sustained drop in new infections, hospitalizations and deaths arising from the virus.
"Our decision to suspend wearing of masks in public and allow resumption of outdoor gatherings was informed by scientific evidence indicating that COVID-19 had become a negligible public health risk," Kagwe remarked during a briefing in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.
He encouraged the public to wear masks while attending indoor activities in poorly ventilated spaces, adding that in-house worship for fully vaccinated individuals will resume.
This file photo shows a child gets a face mask from a health worker during a mass testing exercise in Kangemi, Nairobi, capital of Kenya, on Oct. 17, 2020. (Xinhua/Joy Nabukewa)
In addition, Kagwe said that fans will be allowed to attend sporting activities without wearing masks while international visitors with proof of vaccination will not be required to undergo rapid tests.
He said public service vehicles will henceforth resume full carrying capacity without demanding passengers to wear masks, as the country's positivity rate dropped to less than one percent in the recent past, said Kagwe.
Kagwe clarified that unvaccinated travelers would be subjected to antigen test at their own cost besides self-isolating to avert risk of transmitting the virus to the general population.
He added that at the country's ports of entry, travelers will still be required to fill a locater form, while truck drivers will not require any document including PCR test to facilitate their movements around the country.
He said that the stringent public health measures that were rolled out at the early days of the pandemic two years ago had paid off even as the government remained on the look-out to arrest possible surges.
Kagwe added that the public would still be required to observe hand hygiene and become fully vaccinated to minimize the risk of contracting the virus or succumbing to it.
Kenya reported its first COVID-19 positive case on March 13 and since then, 323,140 cases and 5,644 deaths linked to the disease had been recorded in the country by Thursday.
Statistics from the Ministry of Health indicate that 28.5 percent of the adult population had been fully vaccinated against the disease though the target was to reach 70 percent by June.
