Health Cabinet Secretary, Mutahi Kagwe has lifted the mandatory wearing of masks during a press meeting.
The Ministry of Health imposed a nationwide mask mandate on April 3, 2020, at the height of COVID-19 infections and hospitalisations in the country.
This statement has imposed a big blow to individuals who survived on mask businesses.
This is due to the fact that people in this business will no longer carry out massive sales as they used to when COVID -19 pandemic was at its peak. They’re left to incur massive losses that they didn’t expect after Mutahi Kagwe’s statement.
Some of the people who will be affected with today’s statement include police officers. Police men who made rounds in major towns fining people without masks have a great blow on their little side hustle. Individuals used to get fined a maximum of 2000 shillings and a minimum of 500 shillings if at all were caught without their masks on. The policemen will receive absolutely nothing after this statement was made.
The second group of people that will be affected are the mask vendors. Many individuals had resorted to mask vending to meet their ends. Each day those passes- by one wouldn’t fail to meet a mask vendor to come to their rescue each time they forgot to carry their masks.
This source of livelihood has been abruptly cut short living quite a number of individuals jobless.
The mask manufacturing companies will also incur large loses. This especially if they had bulk of masks manufactured and put out for sale. Very few to no people will purchase masks.
The Health Cabinet Secretary’s statement has left the mask industry impaired for a very long time if not permanently.
By Faith Chandianya