25 people arrested in Embu for not wearing masks

25 people arrested in Embu for not wearing masks

25 people were arrested in Embu town on Friday in an ongoing crackdown against those not complying with Covid-19 containment measures.

The operation which commenced in various parts of the county also saw revelers in bars operating beyond the allowed 9 pm apprehended.

Police rounded up people in the streets found without face masks as well as those violating bar operations protocols.

Embu West Sub-County police boss Charles Kinyua said the suspects were rounded up and taken to Embu Police Station.

He said they are to be arraigned in court on Monday but will be given an option of police bond so that they are released and avoid congestion at the station.

The OCPD says that the crackdown was necessitated by the second wave of COVID-19 in Kenya that has seen a rapid increase in the infection rate.

Inspector-General of Police Hillary Mutyambai on Thursday directed that anyone found flouting the Covid-19 rules pay an instant fine of Ksh. 20,000.

Health officials say the public has failed to follow health protocols to limit the spread of COVID-19, leading to a jump in daily infections.

President Uhuru Kenyatta reintroducing new measures to curb the virus’s spread, just weeks after lifting some restrictions.

He called on Kenyans to adhere to public health protocols meant to limit the spread of the virus.

“County government and other government agencies [are] to enhance and strictly enforce all public health measures, including hand washing, social distancing and mandatory wearing of masks in public places, and to enhance civic responsibility. The national government and county government have to be resolved going forward services will not be rendered to anyone who does not abide by the Ministry of Health protocols,” he said.

Kenyatta instructed ministers to work virtually, ban public gatherings, move up the nightly curfew to 10 p.m., and extend the curfew until January.

Kenyatta said the gains made in previous months have been wiped out in just under eight weeks.

“The occupancy of our COVID beds has now gone up by 140 percent in this, just in the last 38 days of easing our COVID measures,” he said.

“The COVID positivity rate that we were all happy and very excited about when it dropped to 4 percent in September has now shot up to an incredible 16 percent in the month of October. This is four times what it was in September.”

The Head of State also spoke of enforcing localized lockdowns and movement restrictions in areas where there is an upsurge in cases.

“Where there is an upsurge in of COVID-19 cases in a specific county will consult the affected county to issue localized lockdowns and movement restrictions as may be necessary to stem the spread.”

Additional report from VOA

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