NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 16 – Health officials were Monday investigating three more cases that Government Spokesperson Cyrus Oguna said meet the case criteria for coronavirus.
The cases which are in isolation are in addition to three others which have since tested positive.
The initial case was reported on Friday. The other two were confirmed on Sunday.
In total, a Kenyatta National Hospital-managed isolation facility at Mbagathi Hospital was handling twenty cases including the three confirmed cases.
Oguna said samples from the three suspected have since been taken and tested and results will be released as soon as possible.
He told reporters fourteen other cases under isolation which had turned negative were being monitored before officials clear them.
“A you all know we have 3 confirmed cases but today we are monitoring three more cases who have met the case criteria and they have since been isolated,” Oguna said.
Oguna further pointed out that the government continues to heighten surveillance to ensure the situation does not escalate.
He confirmed that 35 counties have set up isolation centres with needed equipment to handle coronavirus cases if any was to be reported at the sub-county level.
“We are glad to announce that 35 counties are now well prepared to handle this Covid 19 case if it were to be reported in the counties. We continue to receive preparedness reports and by the end of this week all the 47 counties shall have complied with the given directives,” he said.
“We have capacity to do the coronavirus tests in Kenya. We have now expanded capacity to other KEMRI centers in Busia, Kisimu, Kericho and Kilifi. We have 34 points of entry where screening is ongoing,” the Government Spokesperson reiterated.
On training of health workers, Acting Director of Health Patrick Amoth said plans were underway to train all the health workers on how to handle Covid-19 patients. He added their health will also be prioritized.
He refuted claims being peddled on social media platforms that the 14 people who are being quarantined at Mbagathi had not been tested saying all of them have undergone the necessary tests and are only waiting for the results.
“I want to assure you that those quarantined have been given the necessary information, our health workers are talking to them, they are being fed and their results shall be released as soon as they are ready. We are not holding anyone,” Amoth said.
“We would rather keep you for additional 12 hours and assure you of genuine results than send anyone back to the community with false outcome.”
On Sunday President Uhuru Kenyatta issued stringent measures including suspension of learning in all education institutions in a bid to curb the spread of the virus in the country which has left over 6000 people dead and infected over 159,000 others globally.
The global pandemic has now spread to 27 African countries with latest cases having been reported in Somalia and Tanzania.
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