This archive report was first published on 5 July 2020.
On July 1, 2020, the European Union (EU) announced that it would reopen its external borders to travelers from 15 countries, including the UK, Algeria, Australia, and Canada. However, Kenya is not among the countries on the list.
Despite this, EU Ambassador to Kenya Simon Mordue stated that some Kenyans will be able to travel to Europe despite the ban. 'It is important to note that the EU borders are not closed for essential travel. This includes Kenyans who are long-term residents in the EU or who hold national long-term visas, as well as their respective family members,' Mordue said.
According to Euronews, EU officials failed to agree on a common list of the countries that would definitely be banned from entering the block upon the border reopening. However, they managed to create a list of the countries with a better epidemiological situation, the citizens of which will be able to enter Europe by the end of next week.
As of July 4, 2020, there were 7,577 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Kenya, 2,236 recoveries, and 159 deaths. To be cleared for travel, a country must show a projection of a decrease in Covid-19 cases, which should not be more than the EU's 14-day average number of new infections per 100,000 people, currently at 16.
