This archive report was first published on 13 May 2020.
Kenya has identified Namanga in Kajiado County as a high-risk zone for COVID-19, following a surge in cases among truck drivers.
According to Health Chief Administrative Secretary Dr. Rashid Aman, 25 truck drivers tested positive for the disease within 24 hours, with 23 from Tanzania, one from Rwanda, and one from Uganda.
Dr. Aman stated that the drivers were denied entry into the country despite Tanzania being a member of the East African Community, in an effort to protect Kenyans.
A mobile testing lab will be dispatched to the Namanga border point to run COVID-19 tests for truck drivers and people in the region.
Dr. Aman emphasized that the facility is crucial in surveillance and monitoring of the virus in this region.
He announced that the mobile lab will be deployed within a week, courtesy of an EAC program, with Kenya expecting to receive two of them.
As of now, Kenya has confirmed 737 cases, with 22 new cases reported, bringing the total number of cases to 737.
Of the new cases, 21 are Kenyans, while one is a Ugandan national.
Dr. Aman also announced four more deaths from the disease, three from Nairobi and one from Mombasa, bringing the total number of fatalities in the country to 40.
The new patients are aged between 20 and 81, with 17 males and 5 females.
The new cases are 10 from Nairobi, eight from Mombasa, Kajiado three, while Bomet reported its first case, bringing the total number of counties with reported cases to 20.
Dr. Aman also announced that 22 patients were discharged from the hospital, bringing the total number of recoveries to 281.
