Kenya Lifts Mandatory Wearing of Facemasks in Public Places

The Ministry of Health has lifted the mandatory wearing of facemasks in public spaces and restored full in-person worship for vaccinated persons. 

The relaxation of the Covid-19 containment measures that have been in place since 2020 follows a big decline in coronavirus cases, fatalities, and positivity rates over the past few months.

Speaking during a media briefing on Friday, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said Kenyans are no longer required to wear facemasks in open public places.

He urged Kenyans to continue wearing facemasks during indoor meetings, where all attendees must be inoculated against Covid-19.

“The mandatory wearing of face masks in open, public spaces is now lifted. Nonetheless, people are advised to maintain social distancing and avoid crowding in public spaces to ensure the risk of spread is limited,” said Kagwe,

He added: “All in-person indoor meetings to resume at full capacity of the venue as long as participants are vaccinated. All attendees should be encouraged to wear facemasks.”

Kagwe directed the Interfaith Council to develop protocols to facilitate resumption of full congregational worship with full capacity of venues where all congregants are vaccinated.

The ministry also stopped the practice of temperature screening at public spaces as well as quarantine of both the vaccinated and unvaccinated persons.

“It has been noted that majority of Covid-19 cases present themselves without fever. As such, the use of temperature screening in public spaces has little utility in current epidemiological scenarios,” said Kagwe.

All public service vehicles, trains, and domestic air freight services are free to resume at full capacity, but operators and staff must be fully vaccinated while all travelers should have face masks at all times during travel.

“Travelers who are fully vaccinated shall forthwith be exempted from the requirements of a PCR test. Children below the age of 15 are exempted in any event from this requirement,” Kagwe noted.

“All eligible and vaccinated travelers arriving at any port of entry into Kenya must have a negative PCR test result conducted not more than 72 hours before departure regardless of the route of entry. Those below the age of 5 years are exempted from this testing requirement.”