COVID-19

Quarantine stopped with immediate effect - CS Kagwe

Kagwe also lifted mandatory wearing of face masks for Kenyans.

In Summary

• In revised measures announced on Friday, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said asymptomatic patients will also not require isolation.

• "The issue of quarantine and isolation of confirmed cases of Covid-19, quarantine is to be stopped with immediate effect."

Health CS Mutai Kagwe during a press briefing on covid-19 at Afya House on March 11 2022.
Health CS Mutai Kagwe during a press briefing on covid-19 at Afya House on March 11 2022.
Image: MERCY MUMO

The Ministry of Health has stopped mandatory quarantine with immediate effect.

In revised measures announced on Friday, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said asymptomatic patients will also not require isolation.

The CS said they will only be under observation for five days and will return to work without any further testing.

"The issue of quarantine and isolation of confirmed cases of Covid-19, quarantine is to be stopped with immediate effect. This applies to both vaccinated and unvaccinated persons," he said.

He added that symptomatic patients will need clearance from a health professional to return to work.

In the new directive, Kagwe also lifted mandatory wearing of face masks for Kenyans.

"There has been a lot of debate on facemasks. Wearing of facemasks in open places is now lifted. We encourage the use of masks in indoor functions," Kagwe said.

The CS however, encouraged the use of face masks for indoor events.

"people should maintain social distancing to ensure risk of spread is limited."

Kagwe said worship places will have a full capacity provided the congregants are vaccinated.

Kenya reported 323, 140 cases of Covid-19 and 5,644 deaths but the inoculation rate remains low, with only 28.5 percent of the adult population fully vaccinated as of March 10, 2022.

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