Spot Check On Supermarkets Enforcing Govt Directive On Masks
Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Mutahi Kagwe stated that members of the public will be required to wear face masks in confined places
admin
A section of supermarkets have been barring customers from accessing their premises without masks, more than a month after the Ministry of Health reinstated the mask mandate in crowded areas.
Viral Tea visited four supermarkets in the Nairobi locality to ascertain whether or not the directive was enforced, and found contrasting scenarios.
In two of the supermarkets this writer walked into, he was not stopped by security at the gate requiring him to wear a mask on entry, instead he underwent a security check and walked in for his shopping.
Inside a supermarket along Thika Road. /MARVIN CHEGE.VIRALTEAKE
While inside, he took note of a section of Kenyans who were going about their duties without masks while others were wearing their masks, presumably as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
The scenario was different in two other supermarkets he visited as he was stopped by a security guard manning the entrance.
He was compelled to wear the mask while getting in, failure to which he would not be allowed.
When questioned by Viral Tea, the guard maintained that the shopping facility was strictly following the government's directive on wearing masks in public places.
In another supermarket this writer went to, he took note of a notice reading "Attention esteemed customers, all are requested to wear their face masks while entering the store."
"This is in line with the government directive on control of COVID-19 that everyone must wear masks while in supermarkets," read the notice stuck outside its entrance.
Addressing the media on Monday, June 20, Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Mutahi Kagwe stated that members of the public will be required to wear face masks in confined places such as Public Service Vehicles (PSV), aircraft, offices, supermarkets and places of worship.
"We have seen situations like in political indoor meetings where we are seeing super spreading of COVID-19. We also require worshippers to wear face masks when inside places of worship," said Kagwe.
Health CS Mutahi Kagwe addressing an audience in a past event. /TWITTER
As of Friday, July 22, 76 people tested positive for the disease, from a sample size of 1,680 tested in the last 24 hours.
The positivity rate was reported at 4.5 per cent. This brings the total number of positive cases since March 2020 to 337,161.
