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Covid-19: Kenya extends curfew as cases surge

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Kenya is extending its curfew.
Kenya is extending its curfew.
Brenton Geach/Galloimages

Kenya said Friday it is extending a nighttime curfew and banning public gatherings to slow the spread of Covid-19, warning that hospitals were becoming overwhelmed.

The East African country has in recent days witnessed a jump in cases from the Delta variant, with a positivity rate of 14% as of Friday compared to around seven percent last month.

Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe said the rate was at risk of rising further unless serious measures were taken.

"We continue to implore all Kenyans, including those who have received their Covid-19 vaccines, not to let their guard down," Kagwe said after a meeting of the National Emergency Response Committee on Coronavirus.

"We are all responsible (for) bringing the cases down," he said at a televised press conference.

Kenya has been under some form of curfew since March last year when the pandemic first hit, and Kagwe said it will be extended nationwide from 22:00 to 04:00 until further notice.

In total, Kenya has recorded more than 200 000 cases and 3 910 deaths.

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