Kenya bans alcohol in restaurants amid doubling of Covid-19 cases, fear of ‘aggressive surge among young’

President Kenyatta had eased some restrictions to heal the economy but announced new bans and measures after infections accelerated in some areas

Zimbabwe is meanwhile enforcing a nighttime curfew after the number of cases rose sharply there, putting pressure on its fragile health system

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People in a Nairobi electronics shop watch President Uhuru Kenyatta giving an address on the pandemic on Monday. Kenyatta has banned the sale of alcohol in eateries and restaurants, extended a curfew and delivered a stern dressing down to Kenyans for “reckless” behaviour. Photo: AFP

Published: 5:01pm, 28 Jul 2020Updated: 7:54pm, 11 Aug 2020

Kenya has joined South Africa in banning the sale of alcohol in restaurants and eateries until further notice to curb the spread of the coronavirus after cases more than doubled in three weeks.

President Uhuru Kenyatta announced the 30-day nationwide ban on Monday and ordered bars to remain closed. He also amended the closing time for restaurants and eateries from 8pm to 7pm for the next 30 days and extended the nationwide dusk-to-dawn curfew by a further 30 days.

This came after Covid-19 infections more than doubled from 8,067 on July 6 – the day Kenyatta eased some movement restrictions the country had imposed to help heal the economy that had been grounded by the pandemic – to 17,975 cases as of Monday.

A nurse works in a field hospital built on a soccer stadium in Machakos, Kenya, last week as the number of confirmed cases continues to rise in the country. Photo: Reuters

“Contact tracing of the recent surge of infections indicates that our socialising without regard for protective behaviour, particularly in environments serving alcohol, is becoming a high-risk factor,” Kenyatta said on Monday. He said the rise in cases had continued for the past 21 days, and in some areas had accelerated.

“My greatest concern at the moment is the aggressive surge of infections among young Kenyans who are in turn infecting their elders,” Kenyatta said.