Faithful To Wear Face Mask During Services,Says Interfaith Council Amidst Return To Normalcy

NAIROBI,Kenya, Mar, 15 – Days after the government revised several COVID-19 containment measures including the lifting of mandatory wearing of face mask and the resumption of full religious services, the interfaith council says that it ready to implement the new government directive.

Faithful according to the council will however still be required to wear face masks during services.

“In measure of prudence, we advise that all must continue wearing masks in areas of worship. We will continue all measures including washing hands and sanitising,” said the council’s chair Archbishop Antony Muheria. 

The religious leaders have also advised faith fun to avoid physical contact while in the places of worship reiterating that sanitization points like hand washing booths will be stationed at the various religious establishments.

Kenya’s positivity rate currently stands at 0.2 per cent. 

Religious leaders meanwhile urged politicians to observe safety rules while in places of worship amidst several health concerns.

 “We urge our political leaders to at least put in place some measures of protection, avoiding hand-shaking and ensure sanitisation,” he said. Muheria urged to Kenyans to reach out to families battling adverse socio-economic impact of the pandemic.

The review of safety guidelines were announced by Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe.

“The ministry of health has been conducting periodic review of COVID-19 outbreak containment measures ranging from quarantine,isolation, travel restrictions, restrictions on gatherings and enforcement of wearing masks in public spaces based on guidance from the World,Health Organization (WHO) on public health considerations and the evolving epidemiological situation globally,” said Kagwe.

Kagwe’s Announcement

All other in-person indoor meetings are also expected to resume at full capacity of the venue as long as all participants are vaccinated.

Sporting activities are also expected to resume fully without the restrictions both professionally and even in schools with the ministry of education and sports to facilitate the transition.

“Event organizers are required to ensure this is followed as they will take responsibility for events at which unvaccinated people are present,” he said.

With recent cases of COVID-19 presenting without fever, the ministry of health says that the use of temperature screenings at public spaces has little utility in the current epidemiological scenarios.

“In this regard, the practice of temperature screenings at public spaces can be stopped. However more emphasis should be placed on increased sanitary and hygiene measures by increasing hand washing stations and sanitization’s points,”

Kagwe also said that all quarantine is to be stopped with immediate effect in the case of vaccinated and the unvaccinated while positive asymptomatic cases need not isolate but shall instead observe five days and return to work thereafter without need for further testing.

“Only those patients declared well enough to work by a qualified healthcare worker should resume work,” saids the CS.

In the transport sector, full conveyance capacity is set to resume in public vehicle services,domestic air transport and even in rail transport. Operators within the sector are however expected to ensure that their staff are fully vaccinated while travelers have their face masks on at all times during the course of their travel.

Also travelers who are fully vaccinated shall be exempted from the requirement of a PCR set.

“All eligible unvaccinated travelers arriving at any port of entry into Kenya bus have a negative COVID-19 PCR set result conducted not more than 72 hours before departure. regardless of the route of the entry,”

Unvaccinated travelers arriving at any point of entry shall be subjected to rapid antigen test at their own cost of USD30 ()Sh3,420).

Any person who tests positive on antigen RDT will be subjected to entry PCR test at their own further cost of USD50 (Sh,5700).

Travelers under the age of five years are meanwhile exempted from the testing requirement.

“All ravelers arriving at nay point of entry into Kenya will be required to fill the passenger locator form on ‘jitenge’ platform. Truck drivers and travelers across the East African comma city who are fully vaccinated will not be require a COVID-19 PCTR test with a validity of a maximum of 14 days prior to travel,”

People traveling out of the country will however be required to abide by the particular travel, health and COVID-19 related requirements of the destination country.