Download logo
Press Statement on the Update of Coronavirus in the Country and Response Measures as at 28th March, 2020:
Fellow Kenyans,
Welcome to the daily updates on the current status of Coronavirus disease outbreak in Kenya. In the last twenty-four hours, a total of eighty-one (81) samples from suspected cases of Coronavirus have been analyzed in our various laboratories.
Out of the 81 samples we have received confirmation of seven (7) people who have tested positive for the Coronavirus disease. They include Four Kenyans, two Congolese and one Chinese National. Three are female and four are male. This now brings to 38 the number of those who have tested positive for the virus in Kenya.
Out of the seven, four had a history of travel from countries with active transmission, one had travelled to Mombasa while two did not have a history of travel.
On a good note, I am also pleased to inform you that our first patient together with the third patient have tested negative on their first retesting. A repeat test is scheduled after 48 hours. We remain hopeful that the repeat test will be negative confirming full recovery to allow for their discharge from our treatment center.
The second patient turned negative as we already announced to you and was discharged from our hospital.
All the seven confirmed cases are from Nairobi County. This now puts Nairobi Country as leading with 28 cases of those who have so far tested positive, followed by Kilifi with six, Mombasa with two, while Kajiado and Kwale with one each. Out of the 38 positive cases, 21 are male while 16 are female.
Tracing of contacts for the 38 confirmed cases is ongoing. The total number of close contacts that we have so far been monitoring stands at 1141. Out of this
number, 163 have been discharged after completing the mandatory 14 day follow up period. Currently, our teams are monitoring 978 close contacts. We have three individuals admitted at Mbagathi Hospital awaiting test results.
To date we have tested 833 persons for the Coronavirus disease.
As we informed you, from tomorrow, we shall embark on mass testing for all those persons who arrived in the country last week and are currently under mandatory quarantine in various designated hotels and Government facilities. This will be done in line with WHO guidelines on testing for the virus, and in accordance with one’s arrival date.
Due to the seriousness of the coronavirus disease and its potential strain on our healthcare resources, it has been deemed necessary for the Government to institute mandatory quarantine of all those who tested positive and their contacts.
Once you have been identified as a contact to a patient who has tested positive, the Ministry of Health shall send its officials to your house to escort you to a quarantine facility.
The purpose of this exercise is to have close monitoring of your wellbeing so as to safeguard your health and that of your family and the country at large.
At this juncture I am appealing to our people to make it very unnecessary for them to engage with the police by staying at home. I am also urging the police that people must be treated humanely.
However, let me state that we are not going to pull back on enforcement of the measures, we have so far instituted, as this will only make things worse in the fight against the disease.
I know there are issues that are being raised about the curfew which started last night, however, I will not deal with that here, but the concerned agencies will be
addressing you on the matter.
I am asking the police to offer their assistance wherever it is needed, especially with regard to essential services in the country. Here I am referring to the medical personnel who include nurses, doctors and all those in the health sector, for the police to assist them in carrying out their work, even if it means using their vehicles to do so. These are the people I rely on, as the Cabinet Secretary for Health to assist me in this enormous task. Let us respect and support them.
Once again I appeal to Kenyans to make it difficult if not impossible for the police to come into contact with you by just doing the right thing – stay at home. The number 659.59, as our curfew number should be a rallying call for all of us at this time.
I thank you all.
HON. MUTAHI KAGWE, EGH,
CABINET SECRETARY.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Kenya.
