• That all extra-curricular activities such as sports, drama, music, and prize-giving days, involving more than one school remain prohibited for the next 90 days.
• Funerals /burials and weddings shall only be conducted with prior approval and with the number of persons being capped at a maximum of 150persons.
Image: CHARLENE MALWA
The curfew has been extended, Interior CS Fred Matiang'i has announced.
This comes as learners prepare to go back to school on Monday.
President Uhuru Kenyatta had in November extended the curfew until January 3.
Matiang'i made his remarks on Sunday during the briefing on the state of preparedness of the government and the education sector as students go back to school.
"The president has this morning issued an executive order extending some of the containment measures to ensure that the eco-system within which our children are going back to school remains manageable, constant and safeguard the health of our children as he pledged in his new year message," Matiangi said.
In his executive order, the president noted that where else the national positivity rate continues to decline, the Covid-19 pandemic remains a threat to our health and to our livelihoods.
The nationwide curfew will continue to be enforced between 10 pm and 4am daily.
The president added that any indoor religious gathering other than for the purpose of a wedding or funeral shall be conducted in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Inter-Faith Council.
Uhuru said that all forms of public events and gatherings which may act as ‘super spreader’ events for the virus, including political and roadside gatherings/meetings, shall remain suspended for the next 60 days.
Funerals /burials and weddings shall only be conducted with prior approval and with the number of persons being capped at a maximum of 150persons.
All overnight vigils or events of any kind shall remain prohibited.
Uhuru has further said that all isolation facilities in the country shall continue to be maintained at a high state of preparedness through continuous capacity building of healthcare workers.
He added that county governments shall enhance investment in piped and portable oxygen capacity in all isolation and critical care treatment facilities for the management of severe Covid-19cases.
Students safety in school
To safeguard students as they reopen schools on Monday 4, the president has directed that all teachers and other staff aged 58 years or above, or who have pre-existing conditions, shall deliver on their duties through remote means or by holding their classes/lessons in open spaces with the natural flow of air.
That all schools shall ensure that they have adequate handwashing stations corresponding to their student population, in line with the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health.
The school heads have also been asked to ensure that there is adequate availability of hand sanitizers for both the students and the teachers.
All non-essential visits to schools by parents and guardians are prohibited and should only be allowed in exceptional circumstances.
All visitors to schools being registered in the school records and being subject to all infection prevention protocols;.
That all extra-curricular activities such as sports, drama, music, and prize-giving days, involving more than one school remain prohibited for the next 90 days.
Also, all teachers and students shall wear appropriate face masks when on the school premises or within school transport, in addition to strictly applying hand-hygiene and physical spacing.
Principal/headteacher have been asked to maintain a register of all sick pupils/students or teachers, and immediately inform the County Health Department of all instances of moderate to severe illness.