US slaps Kenya with Level Three Covid-19 travel alert
Kenyans, some masked to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus disease, are pictured on a street in Nairobi.
The US has on Wednesday updated its travel advisory on Kenya over the trend in surging Covid-19 cases.
The government, through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has raised its Travel Health Notice for Kenya from Level Two - which was issued in June and indicates moderate level of Covid-19 - to Three.
“The CDC has issued a Level 3 Travel Health Notice for Kenya due to Covid-19, indicating a high level of Covid-19 in the country. Your risk of contracting Covid-19 and developing severe symptoms may be lower if you are fully vaccinated with an FDA-authorised vaccine,” part of the statement reads.
“Before planning any international travel, please review the CDC’s specific recommendations for vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers.”
The US also warned its citizens, as it usually does, not to travel to the Kenya-Somalia border and some coastal areas due to risk of terrorism.
It further cautioned its citizens against going to Eastleigh and Kibera in Nairobi due to crime and risk of kidnapping.
“Be especially careful when traveling after dark anywhere in Kenya due to crime. Violent crimes, such as armed carjacking, mugging, home invasion, and kidnapping, can occur at any time. Local police are willing but often lack the capability to respond effectively to serious criminal incidents and terrorist attacks. Emergency medical and fire service is also limited."
The US issued a Level Four Covid-19 warning, its highest, in December last year citing "very high levels of Covid-19". It retained the same in April this year.
The development comes less than a week after the UK retained Kenya on its Covid-19 red list amid rising coronavirus cases in the country.
