This archive report was first published on 12 May 2020.
On May 12, 2020, the Kenyan government took a significant step in its fight against COVID-19 by deploying a high-level team to Kajiado County.
The team, led by Acting Director-General Dr. Patrick Amoth, will visit Namanga, a border town with Tanzania, to evaluate measures that can help prevent cross-border transmissions of the disease.
According to Health Chief Administrative Secretary Dr. Rashid Aman, the move is part of the government's intensified efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19, which has seen a significant rise in infections in the country.
Dr. Aman emphasized the importance of surveillance at the country's borders, stating, "We appreciate the great importance of surveillance at our borders, in this war against the coronavirus disease."
The deployment of the team was prompted by a surge in COVID-19 cases at the Namanga border point, where 14 cases were recorded on Monday.
Dr. Aman noted that security agencies are doing their best to control the movement of people at the border, but acknowledged that some porous borders are still being used by individuals.
As part of the government's efforts to contain the spread of the disease, truck drivers leaving and entering the country are being subjected to mandatory coronavirus tests.
