The President of the Republic of Kenya has announced that from Monday, the day of the end of the first month of curfew throughout the country, this national lockdown security measure from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. will be extended by another 21 days and likewise the closure of the five counties from which you can neither leave nor enter will always be valid for 21 days.
At this afternoon's unified network press conference on Saturday, April 25, Kenyatta also announced 7 new cases of Covid-19 virus positivity in the country, bringing the total number of cases to 393, with 98 patients declared cured and discharged from the hospitals where they were admitted.
The Head of State added that the Ministry of Health has so far tested 17,492 people, and the Government has begun to implement targeted mass swabs.
Praising the Ministry of Health's and citizens' efforts to curb the spread of the virus, Kenyatta noted a worrying trend in the increase in the number of cases, calling on his people to step up the fight against the virus and to help them by fully complying with the directives given.
"Our victory will come from collective efforts to fight this virus; individuals and institutions," he said.
Regarding the decision to extend the curfew and the cessation of movement in the counties identified as "at risk", the President said: "In accordance with the advice given to me by the National Coronavirus Emergency Response Committee, the National Security Council has ruled that the cessation of movement to and from the Nairobi metropolitan area and counties of Kilifi, Kwale, Mandera and Mombasa, currently in force, will be extended for a further 21-day containment period.
Kenyatta, revealing that his government has received billions of dollars in donations from friends in the country to be used in the battle against the Covid-19 virus, said the government will not delay in reducing the security measures taken when health experts report a decrease in cases of infection.
"I also thank the national county governors for the role they are playing in helping and enforcing the national government's directives to stem the pandemic," the Kenyan President concluded, "and I continue to recommend citizens not to make those unnecessary trips, which have led to the partial blockade of counties due to the virus transmission across borders.