Kenya Extends Coronavirus Curfew by 60 Days, Reopens Bars

Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta extended the nationwide curfew by 60 days but revised the dusk-to-dawn timings from 11 pm-4 am effective Tuesday.

The president also lifted the ban on the sale of alcohol by bars and restaurants but noted that the businesses must be closed by 10 pm.

“…their operations shall be with strict adherence to all applicable guidelines and protocols issued by the Ministry of Health,” said the President.

Kenyatta made the announcements following National Covid-19 Conference that took place at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi on Monday.

During the conference, Kenyatta disclosed that the country’s positivity rate has fallen from 13 percent in June to seven in August and now stands at 4.4.

“With these figures, we can be tempted to celebrate, more so because we are now below the 5% positivity rate recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for reopening. Yet these achievements are a paradox in themselves,” said Kenyatta.

“As we head into a new normal, we are even faced with a greater paradox as to whether the curve is flattening or not,” he said.

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On Monday, the Ministry of Health recorded nine more deaths due to the coronavirus, raising its toll to 700. 53 new infections from 1,107 samples tested in the last 24 hours raisin the cumulative tally to 38,168.  60 more recoveries recorded raised the total to 24,681.