This archive report was first published on 14 June 2020.
Published on June 14, 2020, a day after three children in Mombasa tested positive for Covid-19, sparking anxiety among parents in the county.
County Chief Health Officer Khadija Shikely warned parents to keep their children indoors to prevent the spread of the virus, citing the case of the three children who contracted the virus while playing with other minors in Changamwe.
‘This is the first time we are recording a case where parents are negative and children positive. We tested both the mother and father but they turned negative,’ Dr Shikely said.
Dr Shikely emphasized the need for parents to be cautious and ensure their children stay safe indoors, adding, ‘We need to ensure we keep our children indoors. Let’s try to make them busy and forbid them from roaming around the estate or playing with other children. We need a lockdown even in our own houses; it has come to that. These are dangerous times.’
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe had earlier warned Kenyans against believing that children are immune to the virus, saying the myth that children cannot get the virus is false after the country reported its first six-month-old coronavirus patient.
Mr Kagwe directed parents to follow certain protocols to protect their young ones against the virus, including wearing face masks and maintaining social distancing in crowded areas.
