There will be no international conferences in Kenya in the next 30 days, the government has directed in the effort to contain coronavirus.
Addressing the press at Mbagathi Hospital on Friday, Health CS Mutahi Kagwe said the ban will affect about 15 foreigners who were scheduled to hold conferences in Kenya.
The ban according to Mr kagwe who is also the chair of the National Emergency Response Committee on Coronavirus will take effect Friday, March 6.
“If a conference or meeting involves people travelling from Europe, the Middle East or so on, we have asked that you suspend at least for the next 30 days,” he said according to the Star.
The ban will also affect Kenyan government officials seeking to travel abroad. The CS said that they will not be allowed to fly abroad “unless it is crucial”.
However, the ban will not affect conferences scheduled by other Kenyans in Kenya.
Additionally, he said the State has allowed one flight from Italy to fly to Kenya in a move aimed at evacuating about 800 travellers who are now stranded in Malindi.
Early this week, the government through the NERCC suspended flights from Northern Italy and was also contemplating suspending those from Nairobi to Rome over the coronavirus scourge.
The ministry has pledged that it will sensitize Kenyans on coronavirus through text messages and went ahead to share a toll-free Safaricom number.
This move comes barely days after the High Court ordered the State to share with it a detailed plan on the level of preparedness in handling coronavirus infections should any case arise.
All flights from China, the epicentre of coronavirus have been suspended.
