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Health workers collect blood from a child to detect coronavirus, in Antananarivo, Madagascar. More than 60,000 people have succumbed to the disease globally.

Capital Health

Govt unapologetic for extending quarantine period from 14 days for notorious people

NAIROBI, Kenya Apr 5 – The Ministry of Health is unapologetic for extended the quarantine period for those already in isolation, after some were found to have flouted regulations and sneaked out to party.

Dr. Patrick Amoth, the Director-General at the Ministry of Health revealed that 55 percent of the country’s reported positive cases were picked at the quarantine facilities where social distancing precautionary measure was totally disregarded.

“We have no choice but to extend that quarantine period so that we can protect the general population and insist that during the fourteen days they again observe the physical distance,” he told a news conference on Sunday when the government announced 16 new positive cases, raising the number to 142.

Dr Amoth stressed that the government will not relent on efforts to ensure that the social distancing rule is adhered to, however, how painful and costly it will be to the individuals who have already been quarantined for two weeks.

“We will not waiver on the extent of protecting Kenyans just to please a few people who have failed to comply with very simple instructions,” he said.

Kenya has so far lost four people to coronavirus, including Captain Daudi Kibati, the Kenya Airways pilot who contracted the virus on the airline’s last flight from New York that evacuated stranded Kenyans and foreigners two weeks ago.

Kibati was buried in Kitui on Saturday.

Captain David Kibati, the KQ pilot who succumbed to coronavirus was buried on Saturday at his Kitui home.

Others who succumbed to the virus include a six-year-old boy who was admitted to the Kenyatta National Hospital last week.

All those who have died are said to have had pre-existing conditions, a brutal factor on COVID-19.

The government has now issued a new directive that requires burials for COVID-19 victims to be done within 24 hours, attended by not more than 15 code family members only.

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The individuals affected by the quarantine directive were accused of not maintaining the optimal social distance and prescribed hygienic measures in what the officials feared was portending a breeding ground for mass transmission and cross infection.

On the issue of costs following the extension period, Dr Amoth said the government was reviewing whether the cost would entirely left to the individuals.

Nine of the 16 new cases confirmed on Sunday were people put on quarantine on arrival from countries abroad where coronavirus cases have been confirmed, according to Dr Mercy Mwangangi, the Chief Administrative Secretary Mercy Mwangangi.

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