国际英语资讯:Feature:Kenyas night curfew curbs social interactions in COVID-19 fight_时事

国际英语资讯:Feature:Kenyas night curfew curbs social interactions in COVID-19 fight

NAIROBI, April 18 -- Every Saturday, Nairobi resident Mathew Kisaka spent the better part of the morning cleaning his car and then left his house on the east of Nairobi in the afternoon to "hang out" with friends at drinking joints until late into the night.

"Saturday was a day to have fun and unwind with friends," recalled the insurance agent on Saturday of the routine practiced by hundreds of young working men and women in urban centers across Nairobi.

"Sometimes I would meet friends in the evenings during weekdays but Saturday was the day to hang out," he added.

But things changed in the wake of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease in the east African nation.

The government identified Kenyans' social habits, especially during the night and the weekend, as among practices that may fuel the spread of COVID-19 and moved to curtail them through various measures.

These include closure of bars and other entertainment spots and introduction of dusk-to-dawn curfew.

The measures, in particular the curfew, have cut social interactions at night effectively enhancing social distancing.

Kenya is a country with a vibrant nightlife that sustains a huge economy that includes the alcohol and livestock sectors.

For the latter, tons of beef, mutton and goat meat are normally grilled at entertainment spots for eating by revelers as they wash it down with alcoholic drinks.