This archive report was first published on 7 May 2020.
On Tuesday, residents of Mombasa's Old Town went about their daily activities without regard to social distancing measures, despite the area being a Covid-19 hotspot. However, the government's threat to impose tougher measures on the area was realized yesterday, with a shutdown ordered after 18 new infections were recorded.
The 18 positive results came from 74 samples taken on Saturday and Sunday, according to The Standard's findings. The densely populated and impoverished district, with a population of 28,000 residents, has been turbulent since the first case of Covid-19 was reported on April 18.
That case involved an Islamic scholar and herbalist, Mohamed bin Hassan, alias Mwinyi Karama, who contracted the virus and died, sparking a spiral of infection that continues to rise. The Old Town is a densely populated area with many accesses and exits, and its militant youth have vowed to resist any attempt to enforce mass testing for Covid-19.
Enforcement of the shutdown will be feasible if adequate forces are deployed around key areas, according to a national government official who wished to remain anonymous. The official stated that the deployment of forces would be necessary to ensure the lockdown is effective.
Residents are being assisted to bring down infections, and the police will be deployed to ensure the lockdown is enforced, according to County Commissioner Gilbert Kitiyo. Kitiyo called on residents not to view the shutdown as punishment, but as a way of fighting coronavirus.
Old Town and the port, which recorded 29 infections and two deaths between March 17 and April 26, represent more than half of Mombasa's infections. The herbalist died after testing positive, and his family members also tested positive, leading to a chain of infections.
Epidemiologists believe the herbalist was not the first to be infected, as he was around 90 years old and never left Old Town. They believe he contracted the virus from a male patient who was never identified.
