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The COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus was confirmed to have reached Kenya on March 13, 2020, with the initial cases reported in the capital city Nairobi and in the coastal area Mombasa county. On 23 July, Kenya confirmed 15 thousand cases and 6 thousand recoveries.

On 12 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019.The case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003, but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll. Model-based simulations for Kenya indicate that the 95% confidence interval for the time-varying reproduction number is higher than 1.

On 15 March, Cabinet Secretary for Health, Mutahi Kagwe, announced that two people who had sat next to the initial patient on the aircraft in transit from the United States had also tested positive for the virus.On 15 March 2020, President Uhuru Kenyatta directed that the following measures to curb COVID-19 be implemented: “Travel from any countries with any case of Corona virus be restricted.”Only Kenyan Citizens, and any foreigners with valid residence permits will be allowed to come into the country provided they proceed on self quarantine.

On 17 March, it was announced by the Health Secretary that a fourth case had been diagnosed.On 18 March, three more cases confirmed were by the Health Secretary, bringing the total confirmed cases in Kenya to seven.On 22 March, eight more cases were confirmed by the Health Secretary, bringing the total cases confirmed to 15. The government confirmed it was tracing 363 people who are believed to have had contact with the eight new cases.On 23 March, another case was confirmed bringing the total confirmed cases to 16.On 24 March, nine more cases reported for a total of 25 nationally.

On April 44 more cases were recorded out of a total sample of 325 cases.On April 6 president Uhuru Kenyatta announced a cessation of movement in and out of The Nairobi Metropolitan Area for a containment period of 21 days, other counties affected by the cessation are; Mombasa and Kilifi and Kwale county that would take effect as from 8 April. 2366 people had been tested as of April 15, 2020, 1911 people had been released after testing negative and 455 people were still subject to follow up according to statistics provided by the Kenyan Ministry of Health.The number of confirmed cases reached 396 by the end of April..

The Cessation of Movement into and out of Nairobi Metropolitan Area, Mombasa County and Mandera County was on June 6, extended for a further 30 days. While the cessation of movement in and out of Eastleigh area in Nairobi Metropolitan Area, Old Town area in Mombasa County, Kilifi County and Kwale County will be lifted as from 4 am Sunday June 7, 2020. The President also announced on 6 June, that schools will ‘gradually’ open from September 1.

In response to the rise of coronavirus cases in Kenya to three, on 15 March the government of Kenya closed all schools and directed that all public and private sector workers work from home, wherever possible. Travel restrictions were later imposed to prevent non-residents from entry. Kenyan nationals and residents were required to self-quarantine for a minimum of fourteen days. These measures included a suspension of all international flights effective at midnight on 25 March, with the exception of cargo flights.

The government further stipulated that any persons, including senior government officials, found to be in violation of quarantine measures would be forcefully quarantined at their own expense. All bars were to remain closed from 22 March, with restaurants allowed to remain open for takeaway services only. On March 30, the High Court of Kenya upheld the curfew itself, but barred police from using excessive force to enforce the curfew and demanded the police provide guidelines for observing the curfew .