Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday announced pubs will reopen in the country on Tuesday, six months after they were shut to curb the spread of coronavirus, reported Africa News. Trading hours have been restricted and bars will have to close by 10 pm.
Bars were shut in March since the coornavirus outbreak began but restaurants were still allowed to serve alcohol. Kenyatta banned the sale of alcohol in eateries too in July, as new cases rose among young people who socialised there.
The announcement was made by Kenyan President as he addressed the nation on the government’s latest initiatives to tackle the pandemic.
The relaxation of some of the restrictions is likely due to a steady decline in coronavirus cases in recent weeks with 53 new cases being reported on Monday. However, a night-time curfew has been extended for a further 60 days, but it would start two hours later – now lasting from 11 pm to 4 am.
The Kenyan President confirmed that schools will continue to remain shut until the government find it is safe to reopen.
“I call upon the Cabinet Secretary for Education, once we have agreed on the ‘how’, he will then thereafter immediately issue a calendar for the resumption of the 2020 academic year – if it is to be or if it is going to be 2021,” President Kenyatta said.
For now, the 2020 academic year has been written off and children would only return as the start of 2021.
Meanwhile, Kenyatta also warned that the country was “the most vulnerable and fragile at the moment where we think we have won”.
He warned a second wave is still very possible and threatened of re-imposing restrictions if the number of cases rose again.
“If we have won one battle against Covid-19, we have not yet won the war,” the Kenyan president added.
