Kenyan Gov't Orders All Bars, Nightclubs to Close at 7:30pm Every Night in Fight Against Covid-19

The government has announced new measures aimed at averting the spread of coronavirus in the country.

From Monday, March 23rd, all entertainment joints including bars and nightclubs will be required to close before 7:30 pm, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said in a press briefing on Friday.

Operators of public service vehicles have also been ordered to reduce the number of passengers each matatu carries.

CS Kagwe said the National Emergency Response Committee on Covid-19 resolved that 14-seater matatus will from now on carry a maximum of eight passengers.

25-seater vehicles will carry a maximum of 15 passengers while buses with a capacity of 30 and above will be required to maintain a maximum of 60 percent of their sitting capacity. The same applies to the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) and commuter train services.

“It is expected that Kenyans will adhere to the directions of the public service transport operators. There is no point in having 8 people in a matatu but two of them are sitting very close together and leaving the other seats. Stay away from each other as far as possible,” said Kagwe.

In addition, PSV operators are required to clean and fumigate their vehicles at the end of each trip as well as provide hand sanitizers to passengers.

“Our actions continue to be guided by the trends that we have observed in other countries. Evidence from other countries indicate that the number of infected persons increases dramatically following confirmation of the first case,” he added.

Kagwe said no new cases of the illness have been recorded and the number of infections still stands at seven.