NAIROBI, Kenya , April 18 – The Ministry of Health has ordered for a 14-day quarantine extension in five facilities after more coronavirus cases were reported amid protocal breaches.
Acting Health Director General Partrick Amoth said in a statement those in the affected quarantine facilities did not maintain optimal social distance.
“After thorough evaluation of circumstances, it was observed that those in the following quarantine facilities did not maintain optimal social distance and instead had close contact and interactions,” Amoth said.
The extension will affect those quarantined at Kenyatta University, Kenya Medical Training College Nairobi (Kanu Hostel), KMTC Nairobi MG hostel, Kenya Water Institute and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.
“These factors facilitate transmission and cross infection and therefore it is imposssible to determine whether all those quarantined in in the facilities are acftuially safe to be released into the general public,” Amoth stated.
He called on those in quarantine to follow government’s directives and guidelines to avoid extension of their quarantine period adding that the ministry will not be hesitant to take drastic measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 in quarantine facilities.
Kenya had recorded 262 coronavirus cases as at midday on Saturday after 16 more cases were reported.
On Friday Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe reported twelve new cases out of which five were hotel workers while four were traced by the Ministry of Health surveillance teams.
The twelve cases arose from 450 newly analyzed samples.
“What this is tells us is that we need to increase our capacity of testing so that the contacts of those people who are positive can also be tested so that we can be able to contain the pandemic.”
Kagwe spoke at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport where he received a consignment of medical supplies from China including Personal Protective Equipment delivered by the national carrier, Kenya Airways.
The consignment includes 500,000 three-ply masks, 200,000 testing and sampling tubes, 4,000 shoe covers for use by front-line health workers, 300 static shoes to be used in theaters, 76,000 N95 masks and face visors.
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