Wear masks, the ministry says, as Covid-19 infections rise

Face masks. PHOTO | AFP

Kenyans will be required to wear masks in public places after an increase in cases of coronavirus.

Director of Public Health at the Ministry of Health, Francis Kuria, said the positivity rate has been rising since the beginning of May, reaching a maximum of 5.6 per cent and an average of 3.3 per cent weekly.

Kenya’s positivity rate – the percentage of tests returning positive – was 3.6 percent on Wednesday, compared with a low of 0.3 percent on March 11, when Kenya eased restrictions such as wearing masks.

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The increased infection rates come on the back of increased vaccination against Covid-19, with 8.4 million Kenyans fully vaccinated per capita. June 1, up from 7.8 million on March 11th.

“We urge Kenyans to wear their masks. We are concerned that the Covid-19 numbers are rising, said Dr. Kuria.

“At the time of lifting some of the [Covid-19 containment] mandates, the positivity rate was around one percent and at the beginning of May it was around 0.1 percent, but all of a sudden we have a weekly average of 3.3 percent and the highest of 5.6 percent. ”

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When the ministry abolished the use of face masks in open public places, Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe called for the use of masks and compliance with social distance rules in all indoor spaces.

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