Kenya has reinstated mandatory mask-wearing in indoor public spaces including public service vehicles and flights to combat the spread of Covid-19.
Masks will now be required in offices, stores, and places of worship, Health minister Mutahi Kagwe announced on Monday.
He said the number of infections is “worryingly high” and if the trajectory continues, the August 9 general elections might be affected, without explaining how.
On Monday, the country’s positivity rate reached 12.6 percent, the highest in four months. In the last 24 hours, 252 persons tested positive out of a total sample of 1,993, according to the Health Ministry.
One patient is currently being ventilated in the intensive care unit.
Eleven of the 75 people brought to hospitals require supplemental oxygen. Around 3,081 patients are receiving home-based treatment.
In early March, the Health Ministry lifted the mask mandate, but encouraged individuals to wear them in indoor public places. Scientists warned of a possible sixth Covid-19 wave in the country in late April.
This was emphasized earlier this month when Dr. Francis Kuria, Director of Public Health, issued a warning about rising infections.
So far, the country has administered 18,589,484 vaccines.
