KIRINYAGA,Kenya, Oct, 20 – President Uhuru Kenyatta during the Mashujaa day celebrations announced that the nationwide dusk to dawn curfew, observed from 10pm to 4am has been lifted with immediate effect much to the excitement of millions of Kenyans.
The announcement came 20 months after the government received confirmation of the first positive corona virus case in Kenya on March, 12,2020, leading president Uhuru Kenyatta on the footsteps of Harambee House on March 15,2020 to announce a series of containment measures to combat the spread of the deadly virus.
“By the authority vested in me as president, I hereby order and direct that the nationwide dusk to dawn curfew that has been in effect from 27,March, 2020 be,and is hereby vacated with immediate effect,” Said President Kenyatta to a cheering crowd at Wang’uru Stadium.
During his Mashujaa Day speech in Kirinyaga county, president Kenyatta revealed that the decision was arrived upon following advise from the National Emergency Response Committee on COVID-19 as well as the National Security Council.
“NERC and the National Security Council have continued to monitor the solution of the disease situation within our borders….and therefore they have recommended a review of the existing containment measures,” He said.
Kenyatta who thanked the interfaith council for their role in enforcing COVID-19 protocols and steering the resumption of in-person and congregational worship announced that the number of persons gathering for in person worship has also been reviewed upwards from the stipulated one third to two-thirds, “provided they adhere to the health protocols,”
Various stakeholders in the hotel and tourism industry had been advocating for the lifting of the curfew saying that their business had greatly been affected.
Ordinary Kenyans operating small scale business who are the most hit by the pandemic were also calling on the government to ease certain restrictions in order to get their lives and sources of livelihood back on track.
‘Kenya to Manufacture Vaccine By Easter 2022’
In a bid to combat the spread of the virus allowing the country to gradually fully reopen its economy, president Kenyatta revealed that Kenya will by next year commence the manufacturing of its own vaccine- Championing for self-reliance.
“As the first step towards this goal, we have established a company to facilitate this venture in the name of Kenya Biovax Limited. I, therefore, direct the Ministry of Health to operationalize the company to ‘form and fill’ and eventual manufacture of our vaccine by Easter of 2022,” He said.
Kenya has been purchasing several vaccines from leading suppliers globally as well as receiving donations amounting to millions from various countries and strategic partners.
Vaccination Drive
According to the Ministry of Health as of October 19,2021,a total of 4,674,897 vaccines have so far been administered across the country. Of these, 3,379,842 were partially vaccinated while those fully vaccinated were 1,295,055.
“It is however important for all of us to appreciate that we are not yet out of the woods…and we must therefore continue to observe the containment measure as advised by the ministry of health as this is the only way to sustain the gains we are making and guarantee the full reopening of our economy,” Said president Kenyatta.
The COVID-19 positivity rate currently stands at 2 per cent.
A total of 528 patients are currently admitted in various health facilities countrywide, while 1,493 are under the Home-Based Isolation and Care program. 32 patients are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 18 of whom are on ventilatory support and 14 on supplemental oxygen.
No patient is under observation. even as 167 patients are separately on supplemental oxygen with 166 being in the general wards. One patient is in the High Dependency Units (HDU).
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