NAIROBI (Reuters) – Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday ordered a halt to all movement in parts of the country affected by the new coronavirus, including the capital Nairobi, a tightening of measures to stem the spread of the outbreak.
The order includes a ban on all entry into and exit out of the areas affected.
“The cessation of movement within the Nairobi metropolitan area shall be for an initial containment period of 21 days with effect from 7 p.m. Monday the 6th of April 2020, that is today,” Kenyatta said in a televised address.
Kenya has reported 158 coronavirus cases and six deaths, with four individuals declared fully recovered.
“This virus is unforgiving and its rate of growth, if not arrested, is exponential,” Kenyatta said.
Other areas of the country where movement has been restricted include the coastal city of Mombasa and the counties of Kilifi and Kwale.
The decision to restrict movement in the four areas of Kenya was driven by a desire to halt the spread of the virus to other parts of the country, Kenyatta said.
“There shall be cessation of all movement by road, rail or air in and out of…the Nairobi metropolitan areas and…the counties of Kilifi, Kwale and Mombasa,” he added.
(Reporting by Omar Mohammed and George Obulutsa; Editing by David Goodman and Ed Osmond)
