State to issue new response measures as cases jump to 25
Irene Githinji @gitshee
Fears that Kenya’s coronavirus numbers could rise since the announcement of patient zero last week yesterday came to pass with confirmation of nine new cases bringing the total to 25.
The government also identified four counties—Nairobi, Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale— as highly exposed and, therefore, needing more response strategies and capacity to tame the spread of the deadly respiratory flu.
Giving his daily brief to the press on Covid-19 yesterday, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said the government will today outline new measures in view and consideration of developments so far with regards to combating the disease.
“Tomorrow (today), we will be announcing what further measures the government has decided to take to respond to the environment and situation now presenting itself to us,” he said.
Kagwe said out of the nine new cases, seven are Kenyans while two are foreigners, adding that they have already been put in isolation and are being monitored together with other previously confirmed cases as tracing of those who have been in contact with them continues.
Await results
Similarly, three of the seven Kenyans cases are said to have contracted the virus through close contacts with those already tested positive for coronavirus while the remaining four got it from foreign countries affected.
He said in the last 24 hours, 82 samples from suspected cases had been tested at National Influenza Centre, Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) in Nairobi, Kemri Welcome Trust in Kilifi and Aga Khan hospital.
“Out of the 82 samples, we have received confirmation of nine people who have tested positive for the coronavirus disease bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 25.
These confirmed cases are spread out in four counties namely Mombasa, Nairobi, Kilifi and Kwale,” said the CS in the daily updates.
He said tracing of contacts of the new cases as well as those of previous cases is ongoing, adding that the total number of close contacts that have so far been monitored stands at 745 out of which, 98 have been discharged after completing the 14-day follow-up period.
The remaining 647 close contacts are being monitored while 15 individuals are currently at Mbagathi hospital awaiting test results.
On international travellers directive, Kagwe said they are all undergoing mandatory quarantine in selected hotels.
He reiterated his earlier appeal that hotels where individuals have been quarantined should not take advantage of the situation to make profit, saying it is immoral and inconsiderate.
At the same time, the CS admitted that the forced quarantine had run into challenges, but assured that the processing at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and other designated facilities has since been streamlined.
“There have been challenges at JKIA as well as the designated hotels and government facilities where we are taking the travellers for mandatory quarantine.
This was bound to happen because of the huge numbers that are coming in while at the same time we do not want to leave anything to chance,” the CS said.
Kagwe added: “However, we have streamlined the process and this has been sorted out…
In fact, we intend to introduce further measures to speed up the process and ease the inconvenience that we are clearly causing parents and passengers.
I want to appeal to all travellers to bear with us as we continue to undertake this process.
This intervention is aimed at stopping further introduction of the virus in the country.”
Meanwhile, the government’s fight to tame Covid-19 spread got a boost with a donation of 25,000 testing kits for the coronavirus disease from the Chinese business magnate Jack Ma.
Announcing what he termed positive news, Kagwe lauded the move, which he said will go a long way in helping fight the disease.
Respond well
“We will be carrying out mandatory testing for all contact cases. At the same time, we will carry out testing for all persons in mandatory quarantine who are coming in from overseas as well as all those who are already here,” he added.
Kagwe said save for two elderly men who have shown signs of being unwell, all the patients are responding well to treatment.
“We think we might have some good news but we do not want to start announcing things and then start going backwards but keep your fingers crossed, soon we could be happy about what we are receiving but for now I leave it there… somebody’s prayers are being answered,” said the CS.
So far, Kemri laboratory has the capacity to test 360 samples in 24 hours, even as plans are being put in place to establish a testing facility at Moi Teaching and Referral to cover the North Rift region and further ensure a shorter turn around time.
The CS urged citizens to take personal responsibility in the fight to tame the virus and condemned what he described as “Kenyans’ indisciplined behaviour”.
