Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Sunday extended the night curfew for three months as part of measures to help contain the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
Kenyatta in an executive order said the nationwide coronavirus night curfew is extended up to March 12, and it will continue to be enforced between 10:00 p.m. and 04:00 a.m. daily.
“That whereas the general directions governing religious gatherings shall remain unchanged, any indoor religious gathering other than for the purpose of a wedding or funeral shall be conducted in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Inter-Faith Council and with all other applicable Ministry of Health guidelines and protocols remaining in force,” he said.
The president added all forms of public events and gatherings which may act as “super spreader” events for COVID-19, including political and roadside gatherings, shall remain suspended for the next 60 days.
This, he said, will be with the exception of funerals and weddings, which shall only be conducted with prior approval and with the number of people being capped at a maximum of 150 people, and only if the particular venue can accommodate that number of people while adhering to all applicable guidelines and protocols.
He added that all isolation facilities in the country shall continue to be maintained at a high state of preparedness through continuous capacity building of healthcare workers, provision of adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers, and the continuous implementation of infection prevention and control measures.
The president said local governments shall enhance investment in piped and portable oxygen capacity in all isolation and critical care treatment facilities for the management of severe COVID-19 cases.
He said teachers and other staff who are aged 58 years or above, or who have pre-existing conditions, shall deliver on their duties through remote means or by holding their classes/lessons in open spaces with natural flow of air.
The Kenyan leader said all passengers in public and private vehicles must wear masks and maintain hand hygiene at all times while within the motor vehicle and all public service vehicles shall observe a strict 60 percent maximum carrying capacity limit.
He said all schools which will resume learning from Monday shall ensure that they have adequate hand-washing stations corresponding to their student population, in line with the guidelines issued by the Ministries of Health and Education.
The president said schools experiencing water problems must ensure that there is adequate availability of hand sanitizers for both the students and the teachers.
He said all non-essential visits to schools by parents and guardians are prohibited and should only be allowed in exceptional circumstances in fidelity with the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Education with all visitors to schools being registered in the school records and being subject to all infection prevention protocols.
Kenyatta said all teachers and students shall wear appropriate face masks when on the school premises or within school transport, in addition to strictly applying hand-hygiene and physical spacing.
“That all extra-curricular activities such as sports, drama, music and prize-giving days, involving more than one school remain prohibited for the next 90 days and all exchange visits between schools shall remain prohibited for the same period,” he said.
The president said heads of every school shall maintain a register of all sick students or teachers.
He urged all Kenyans to continue observing the guidelines and protocols issued by the Ministry of Health, which include the proper wearing of face masks, physical and social distancing, regular washing of hands with soap and water or the frequent use of appropriate sanitizers, and the regular cleaning and disinfecting of frequently touched surfaces.
