This archive report was first published on 6 July 2020.
President Uhuru Kenyatta is set to address the nation on Monday, outlining the next steps in combating the COVID-19 pandemic, which has had a devastating impact on Kenya's economy.
According to the World Health Organization, the pandemic has been declared potentially endemic, posing a delicate balancing act for President Kenyatta as he weighs the country's economic recovery against public health.
Kenya's GDP growth has declined to 2.5 per cent, down from a pre-coronavirus 2020 projection of 6.2 per cent, with the World Bank predicting the rate could further plummet to 1.5 per cent.
Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala and his Chief Administrative Secretary Joseph Boinnet have expressed optimism that President Kenyatta's address will provide direction on the reopening of domestic flights, a key component for the revival of the tourism sector.
"We want to make sure Ministry of Health measures are being followed; the issue of social distancing, washing hands, sanitization and wearing masks," Balala said during an assessment tour of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on July 2.
Kenya Airways CEO Allan Kilavuka has expressed confidence in the airline's ability to resume safe operations, citing advanced onboard air filtration systems capable of curtailing in-flight transmission of coronavirus.
"The measures that have been taken to mitigate the risk of transmission are sufficient. We're ready to fly we've been ready for some time now," Kilavuka said.
Kenya's COVID-19 case fatality rate has recorded a steady decline in recent weeks, dropping from an average of 3.4 per cent in May and 2.5 per cent in June to 2.1 per cent in the first week of July and 2.03 on Sunday, July 5.
