By Duncan Miriri
NAIROBI (Reuters) – Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta extended for two months on Monday a nationwide curfew intended to curb the coronavirus, but relaxed the starting time by two hours until 11 p.m.
Kenyatta, who said the COVID-19 infections curve had been flattened, also lifted a ban on the sale of alcohol in restaurants and bars.
The restrictions will be reviewed again in 60 days, he said. He also said the finance minister would extend tax relief measures unveiled in April until January 2021.
Kenya has had 38,115 cases of the virus and 691 deaths since its first case on March 13. The government quickly put measures into place to curb the spread of the disease, including shutting schools, closing borders, mandatory mask wearing in public, and a curfew that lasts until 5 a.m.
Fears that the creaky public healthcare system might be overwhelmed have not materialised and the East African nation is slowly reopening, although schools remain closed.
(Reporting by Duncan Miriri; Editing by Katharine Houreld)
