Kenyans have been urged to wear their masks as the country readies itself for a potential new wave of Covid-19 infections.

According to Dr. Francis Kuria, the Director of Public Health at the Ministry of Health, the positivity rate has been on a rise since the start of May hitting a high of 5.6 percent and averaging at 3.3 percent weekly.

“We are urging Kenyans to have their masks on. We are worried that the Covid-19 numbers are going up,” Dr. Kuria said.

“At the time of lifting some of the [Covid-19 containment] mandates, the positivity rate was about 1 percent and at the beginning of May, it was about 0.1 percent but all of a sudden, we have a weekly average of 3.3 percent and the highest at 5.6 percent.”

In early March, Kenya lifted the mask mandate, with the Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe saying that the wearing of face masks in open public places had been lifted, but encouraged citizens to put on masks at indoor functions. He also announced that full in-person worship for vaccinated persons had been restored.

In late April, Scientists warned of the sixth wave of Covid-19 and asked Kenyans not to drop their guard.

In its 15th advisory, the eminent committee of the Lake Region Economic Bloc (LREB) said the next Covid-19 wave will begin at the end of April, reach its peak around May 17, and decline after June 2.

The panel said the wave will take about 40 days and is likely to be milder than the previous ones.