The Kenyan government is expected to introduce a directive next month that will prevent unvaccinated Kenyans from receiving government services, reported The BBC.
Kenyan Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe said citizens who haven’t been vaccinated against Covid-19 would be banned from public transport, local airlines, and train services. They will require proof of vaccination in order to visit government institutions.
Kagwe said the government will restrict in-person services at the revenue, transport, ports, and immigration and education institutions. He added that the state will also limit access to hospitals, prisons, game parks as well as hotels, bars, restaurants, and businesses that attend to 50 people or more in a day.
The directive will come into force on 21 December.
Kenya has administered about 6.4m vaccinations out of the 10.7m Covid-19 vaccine doses received to date, according to the health ministry.
Kagwe said Kenya had seen a marked decrease in the number of severe cases and deaths, with a positivity rate over the last 14 days ranging from 0.8 percent to 2.6 percent. However, the Kenyan government is wary of new spikes over the Christmas season next month.
“The current decline in the number of new infections may be attributed to a buildup of immunity both through natural exposure to the disease and the ongoing vaccination exercise,” Kagwe said. “Nonetheless, we know that it’s not yet time for us to celebrate.”
Beginning on Tuesday, young people over the age of 15 will be able to get a Pfizer jab. Kenya has a target of vaccinating 10 million people by the end of December.
The government says it’s concerned about the slow uptake of vaccines, especially in the counties. It says that it’s concerned that only 18% of the elderly people have taken the jabs. So far less than 10% of the total population has been vaccinated.
Kenyan Health Minister Kagwe said the government is planning a 10-day mass inoculation campaign from November 26 to ensure that majority of the public get vaccinated.
