By NATION AFRICA

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Kenya will have vaccinated its entire adult population of 26 million by the end of 2022, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced on Tuesday in a national address on the Covid-19 pandemic.

The country had set a goal of vaccinating 10 million adults by June 2022, but President Kenyatta said inoculation will be accelerated.

"By Christmas this year, we intend to have vaccinated over 10 million adults. According to our experts, we will have built a capacity to vaccinate 150,000 people every day from August 2021," he told the nation.

President Kenyatta explained that the acceleration will be aided by factors such as acquisition of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, with requires just one shot. Kenya expects to receive its first consignment in August.

"In the process of negotiating with this company, we managed to get a lower price. For the price of 10 million vaccines, we have negotiated for them to deliver 13 million vaccines," Mr Kenyatta said.

"Using these vaccines and others in the pipelines, this is how we will vaccinate over 10 million Kenyans by Christmas 2021 and 26 million by the end of 2022."

The government further said that if a vaccine for underage populations is registered by early next year, an extra four million young adults will have received the vaccine by June 2022.

"A vaccinated population of 30 million will allow us to begin the journey for herd immunity’ against this pandemic. This is our intention for the next 12 months," the President said.

Kenya's has recorded 183,603 Covid-19 cases with a current positivity rate of 9.5 percent. It has also recorded 125,388 recoveries and a death toll of 3,621.

In terms of vaccination, a total of 1,334,749 doses had been administered by Tuesday, 1,005,901 being first doses and 328,848 second doses.

Other directives

President Kenyatta issued several other instructions to help curb the spread of Covid-19 in Kenya:

1. The hours of curfew are maintained at between 7pm and 4am in the Covid-19 hotspot zone, which comprises the counties of Kisumu, Siaya, Homa Bay, Migori, Busia, Kakamega, Vihiga, Bungoma, Kisii, Nyamira, Kericho, Bomet, and Trans Nzoia up to July 31
2. For the rest of Kenya, the nationwide curfew shall continue to be observed from 10pm to 4am for a further  60 days                  
3. Excluding the above mentioned counties, in-person worship and congregational worship shall continue to be conducted in keeping with the one-third capacity rule
4. The prohibition against political gatherings and all public gatherings is extended for a further 60 days
5. All persons coming into the country must be in possession of a negative Covid-19 PCR certificate acquired no more than 96 hours prior to arrival
6. In regard to funerals, cremations and other interment ceremonies, it is directed that these ceremonies shall be conducted strictly within 96 hours of confirmation of death
7. Attendees, officiators, and facilitators of funerals or graveside/cremation ceremonies shall be limited to 100 persons in total
8. Attendees, officiators, and facilitators of weddings, celebrations of marriage or traditional unions, ceremonies of rites of passage, and all other similar events or ceremonies shall be limited to 100 persons in total

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