This archive report was first published on 6 July 2020.
Kenya has been under lockdown for nearly four months, with the coronavirus pandemic devastating key industries such as tourism.
On Monday, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced a phased reopening of the country, with international flights resuming on August 1 and internal travel restrictions lifted.
According to Kenyatta, international air travel into and out of Kenya will resume effective August 1, 2020.
Additionally, a ban on movement in and out of the capital Nairobi, the port city of Mombasa, and northeastern Mandera will be lifted from July 15.
However, a curfew from 9pm to 4am will remain in place for another 30 days.
Kenya has recorded over 8,000 cases of the virus and 164 deaths, with a fatality rate of 2.09 percent.
Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe warned that healthcare facilities risk being overwhelmed due to the low number of tests conducted, with fewer than 200,000 people tested in a population of 47 million.
Despite the reopening, Kenyatta emphasized that it is conditional and warned that any trends signaling a worsening of the pandemic will result in the return to lockdown.
Places of worship will be allowed to reopen, but with a maximum of 100 people attending.
Kenya took swift action to combat the coronavirus, closing its borders on March 25 and imposing a curfew while advising people to work from home.
As the country reopens, Kenyatta urged citizens to continue implementing social distancing and to avoid travel as much as possible.
