Random screening to start in specific areas tomorrow
The government will tomorrow begin random testing of coronavirus in specific areas as it seeks to trace all people who may have come into contact with patients confirmed to be having the deadly virus as part of measures to avert spread.
Health CS Mutahi Kagwe yesterday said the exercise, which is part of the measures by the response team to avert spread of the virus, which has so far been reported to have attacked seven people will involve Red Cross and security officers.
“We will embark on random screening in targeted areas of members of public commencing this Saturday.
The exercise will be coordinated by the ministry of health will also involved other stakeholders such as Red Cross and security personnel,” the CS told reporters.
He said the government was restructuring the team that is dealing with combating the virus, noting that the Public Service Commission had approved Ebola champions who have been incorporated in coronavirus response intervention unit.
The minister said so far 600,000 people had been screened at all points of entry but only 173 had been tested and of the numbers, only the seven cases have been confirmed, adding that 145 people who may have come into contact with the seven have been traced.
Eight tests were done yesterday but had all turned negative, he said. To improve the surveillance, Nyumba Kumi, chiefs and sub-chiefs will be deployed to ensure that the directives of the government as far as the management of the ailment is concerned, adding that it will create smaller clusters to help avoid spread.
This came as even Kagwe announced that the country was on a positive trend in its management after the day ended without any new case from the virus.
The seven cases which were reported on Wednesday, the CS said, were all imported and patients were all in stable conditions, adding that his ministry had kicked off the process of undertaking further tests of to establish is they have healed.
“Of the seven cases, six of them are Kenyans and one Burundian. All these cases are imported.
The good news is that the seven patients are in stable condition and indeed today, we began tests to see whether any of them might have turned negative.
This is something that we will be discussing tomorrow (today),” the CS told reporters.
He reiterated that Kenyans must self -social distance themselves to facilitate the management of the virus, warning that actions would also be taken against owners of the institutions where people are still gathering in masses.
“This is not a holiday season it is time to fight a deadly condition. To congregate in entertainment joints, bars and restaurants will be defeating the very purpose for which they were asked to stay at home.
And we will resort eventually to taking actions against the institutions that people are gathering in,” he said.
He added: “If we have been asked to take our children home, and to isolate our kids, it did not mean that we now start taking them to the shopping centres, markets playgrounds, museum. That is not what is intended. The intention is to create social distance,”
The government also warned that it would start to arrest social media users who are distorting information and spreading lies about the status of deadly coronavirus, causing unnecessary panic among Kenyans.
