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Kenya, Namibia and Netherlands end mandatory masks in public

Kenya’s Health Ministry no longer requires the wearing of face masks in public. However, reports BBC News, it encourages people attending events indoors and using public transport to continue with the practice.

Mandatory quarantine and the isolation of COVID-19 patients has also been stopped. The measures of social distancing and hand washing will remain in place to reduce the spread of coronavirus.

Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe said the changes follow a significant decline in COVID-19 infections in the country. Positivity rates have remained below 5% for the past month. More than 7m Kenyans have been fully vaccinated (28.5% of the adult population).

Namibia, and further afield, The Netherlands, are also dropping restrictions, reports 7News.

The Dutch government says it will drop its last remaining COVID-19 restrictions next week and Namibian authorities say masks are no longer required in public.

Namibian President Hage Geingob announced on Tuesday (15 March) that mask-wearing in public and negative PCR tests for vaccinated visitors are no longer required, as active COVID-19 cases fall to just a couple of hundred.

Infections peaked at more than 30,000 per month in June 2021 but the country has averaged just 14 cases per day over the past seven days, with the total active cases at 222.

People in closed spaces, such as on public transport or in indoor public meetings were, however, encouraged to continue wearing masks.

Fully vaccinated travellers to the country are also no longer required to produce a negative PCR test result. They need only produce a valid vaccination card at points of entry.

About 21% of Namibia's eligible population of 1.7m people have been fully vaccinated.

Dutch health officials are also ending the wearing of masks on public transport, and testing is no longer required for large events from 23 March, said Health Minister Ernst Kuipers, also on Tuesday.

Even the requirement to enter quarantine will be lifted; although people who test positive for the virus will still be encouraged to stay at home, this will be a mere recommendation.

After most restrictions were lifted a few weeks ago, the number of cases in The Netherlands began rising quickly. But the government considers its approach as reasonable.

There is currently a seven-day average of roughly 2,500 cases per 100,000 people in The Netherlands, whereas in Germany, the equivalent is at 1,585.

The panel of experts advising the government had therefore called for the use of masks on public transport to be continued, a restriction the government is dropping nonetheless, reports 7News.

People flying to The Netherlands from the European Union or the Schengen passport-free zone will no longer have to to show a COVID-19 pass on arrival.

 

BBC News article – Kenya lifts mandatory mask wearing and quarantine (Open access)

 

7News article – Namibia, Netherlands, to remove virus curbs (Open access)

 

See more from MedicalBrief archives:

 

Kenya’s COVID clampdown: Extensive restrictions on the unvaccinated

 

UK to assist in Kenya's 24m-shot vaccine rollout

 

Columbia-Brenthurst report: Pandemic Response in Africa: Covid-19 in Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa

 

Suicide levels in Malawi and Kenya rocket as pandemic bites

 

 

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