This archive report was first published on 6 July 2020.
Kenya has been under lockdown since March 25, with international flights grounded. However, the country is now set to reopen, with President Uhuru Kenyatta announcing a phased reopening on July 6.
As of August 1, international flights will resume, and internal travel restrictions will be lifted. The move comes as pressure mounts to kickstart the country's ailing economy, which has been devastated by the coronavirus pandemic.
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 the country's 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.
President Kenyatta said that the reopening is conditional, and that any trends signaling a worsening of the pandemic will result in the return to lockdown. He also announced that places of worship will be allowed to reopen, but with a maximum of 100 people attending.
Kenya's swift action to combat the coronavirus included closing its borders, shutting schools, and imposing a curfew. The restrictions have had a significant impact on the country's economy, with millions of poor people living hand to mouth.
President Kenyatta urged citizens to continue implementing social distancing and to avoid travel as much as possible, saying, 'exercise cautious optimism and avoid reckless abandon.'
