This archive report was first published on 13 July 2020.
On Thursday, July 9, 2020, Mediamax, a Kenyan media stable owned by the Kenyatta Family, locked down the third floor at DSM Place, its headquarters, for fumigation after one of its employees tested positive for COVID-19.
According to a memo to all employees, Acting Chief Executive Ken Ngaruiya revealed that the unidentified employee works in the Finance Department and showed mild symptoms of the disease before being taken in for treatment.
"Please be informed that one employee in the Finance Department has tested positive for COVID-19 after exhibiting mild symptoms. The employee has already self-isolated in accordance with home-based care guidelines," the memo dated July 12 read.
As a precautionary measure, the company has advised all employees who worked with the patient to self-isolate for 14 days while contact tracing to track down all persons who came into contact with the patient has begun.
Mediamax has also started making plans to facilitate its employees to work in shifts after projecting that it might not be feasible to maintain normal working procedures due to the need to maintain social distancing.
The company has enlisted the services of a medical services provider tasked with handling all matters COVID-19, including medication and guidance regarding quarantine.
Furthermore, the media house has tightened the belt on movement in and out of DSM Place to protect its other employees from contracting the virus.
"At this point in time, our priority is to make sure that your wellbeing is taken care of. We encourage you to be positive and calm as it has a bearing on your immunity. Let's work together to make sure that we contain COVID-19 the best way we can," Ngaruiya wrote in the memo.
