Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday allowed bars to reopen and restaurants to sell alcohol again as the rate of new coronavirus infections slowly declines in the East African nation.
In a nationwide address, Kenyatta announced the easing of several strict measures imposed to contain the spread of Covid-19, but stopped short of reopening classrooms after the 2020 school year was abandoned.
Following a coronavirus summit in Nairobi with government officials, the president ordered that a nationwide dusk-to-dawn curfew be extended by another 60 days, but pushed back the hour it begins from 9pm to 11pm.
The number of attendees allowed at weddings and funerals was doubled to 200, and the permitted size of gatherings at houses of worship increased to one third of their normal seated capacity.
“The prohibition against the operation of bars” and a separate ban on eateries selling alcohol would be lifted from Tuesday, but such venues must close by 10pm, Kenyatta said.
Bars were shut in March but soon began serving food to exploit a loophole allowing restaurants to serve drinks with meals.
