Kenyans will now have to prove they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to gain access to government services, public transport and public places such as national parks, bars and restaurants; this is according to new health regulations introduced by the country’s ministry of health.
The move comes despite Kenya recording a decline in the number of coronavirus infections in recent weeks, but also against a backdrop of increasing restrictions in some European countries battling a spike in cases.
The country’s Health Minister, Mutahi Kagwe, said in a statement on Sunday that all citizens will be required to show vaccination certificates from December 21, with news of a planned 10-day mass inoculation campaign from November 26. He said Kenya had seen a “marked decrease” in the number of severe cases and deaths, with a positivity rate over the last 14 days ranging from 0.8 percent to 2.6 percent.
Since the start of the pandemic, Kenya has recorded a total of about 254,629 cases and 5,325 deaths.
“I have no doubt that looking at these statistics, it’s very easy to become complacent and fail to appreciate the magnitude of the problem that we still face with the pandemic,” Kagwe said.
“The current decline in the number of new infections may be attributed to a buildup of immunity both through natural exposure to the disease and the ongoing vaccination exercise. Nonetheless we know that it’s not yet time to celebrate.”
Only about 2.4 million people or less than nine percent of Kenya’s adult population have been vaccinated, according to official figures, compared with a government target of 30 million by the end of next year.
Kagwe echoed concern about the low uptake of COVID-19 jabs, particularly among the elderly, and added that it had slowed after the lifting of a night-time nationwide curfew last month.
Under the new measures, in-person access to government services including hospitals, education, tax and immigration offices, will be limited to those carrying proof of vaccination. Similar restrictions will be imposed for public places such as national parks and game reserves, hotels, bars and restaurants, while all indoor gatherings will be limited to two-thirds capacity.