This archive report was first published on 25 June 2020.
Published on June 25, 2020, the Technical University of Mombasa (TUM) has outlined plans to reopen in September, necessitating the closure of its 300-bed Covid-19 isolation centre.
The university's Vice Chancellor, Professor Leila Abubakar, confirmed that talks with the Mombasa County government are at an advanced stage to shut down the centre, which was exclusively for Covid-19 patients.
"We have given the county government our engineering building for a short time to help accommodate Covid-19 patients and talks are underway to have the facility handed back to us," Professor Abubakar said.
As part of the preparations, the university has planned to have fourth-year students report first to allow them to sit for their final examinations, while other students will follow.
The closure of the isolation centre is a significant blow to the county government, which is battling rising cases of the virus and lacks capacity to accommodate a large number of Covid-19 patients.
