Ambassador Wu Peng when he addressed journalists in Nairobi on February 13, 2020. /CHRISTIAN MALUMBE.
NAIROBI, Kenya Feb 13 – Chinese Ambassador to Kenya, Wu Peng has assured of tough measures taken to prevent the coronavirus from spreading to the country.
Amb Wu said he has instructed all Chinese companies in Kenya to ensure all their staff arriving from China exercise self-isolation for two weeks, before they are allowed to mingle with others as a safety measure.
Many Chinese nationals who traveled back home China in January for the New Year celebrations have been arriving in the country.
“We are taking this matter very very seriously,” Amb Wu told journalists on Thursday, at a meeting convened by the Kenya Editors Guild (KEG) in Nairobi, “everyone arriving from China is required to exercise self-isolation for two weeks.”
Even staff at the Chinese Embassy are not exempted from the order.
“My own staff must also follow this order,” he said, “because it applies to everyone arriving back from China.”
Coronavirus that was first diagnosed in Wuhan City of Hebei Province has so far killed more than 1300 and infected nearly 60,000 people, mainly in China, even though there are confirmed cases in other parts of the world, including Europe, USA and the UK. So far, there are no confirmed cases in Africa.
In Kenya, the Ministry of Health has lately intensified screening at ports of entry, and urged people arriving from China to seek medical assistance if they notice any symptoms of the deadly virus.
Seven suspected cases of coronavirus, mainly on students who arrived from Kenya in January turned negative, after quarantine and intensive tests.
“We continue to monitor the entry of our nationals into Kenya and have instructed them to strictly adhere to the prevention and control measures,” the Ambassador said, and assured that Kenyan in China, including students are safe.
Citing advise from the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Ambassador said foreigners in China, including in the Wuhan epicenter are safe there because they expose themselves to infection risks whenever they travel.
“It is quite normal to see some worries and anxieties from those people in China and their families at this difficult time. But it is wise, safe, and right for Kenyan students and other citizens to stay in Wuhan and China for a while,” he said.
According to him, newly reported confirmed cases in China (excluding Hubei) have marked the 9th day of a decline, in what he attributed to the speedy, intensity of China’s response series of measures which are taking effect gradually.
“Experts, medical teams, engineers, construction workers and many more have been deployed to the worst-hit areas. 67 billion yuan has been allocated for fighting the outbreak, and over 20 tons of medical supplies are being handled and delivered every hour,” he added.
China is seeking assistance for donations of medical supplies from countries worldwide, including from Kenya.
Ambassador Wu further dispelled rumours peddled through social media platforms to cause panic, saying that such information are more frightening than the virus itself.
“Confidence and determination are of vital importance in overcoming the epidemic. The issue of public health goes beyond national borders and requires the joint efforts of all sides, including the media, who should take up their due social responsibility in this battle against a common enemy of all mankind,” he concluded.
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