This archive report was first published on 14 May 2020.
As the country continues to grapple with the Covid-19 pandemic, the Kenyan government has announced plans to deploy a mobile Covid-19 testing laboratory at the Namanga border post.
According to Health Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Dr. Rashid Aman, the mobile lab will be key in surveillance and monitoring of cross-border transmission of the highly contagious virus.
Dr. Aman explained that the mobile lab, which will be initiated under the East African Community programme, aims at improving disease surveillance between member states in a collaborative move to tame the spread of the pandemic.
“Through this programme, we will receive two mobile laboratories for Kenya and will be used for molecular work and testing for Covid and hopefully within the next one week one lab will be in Namanga to address the testing of the drivers”, Dr. Aman said.
Dr. Aman also announced that the government has received a consignment of 8,000 test kits and an additional 18,000 more were expected later in the week.
He said that at least 35,432 people have been tested so far since the first case was reported in the country.
Dr. Rashid also announced that twenty more people tested positive to Covid-19 during the latest sampling of suspect cases bringing the national tally of those infected to 737.
He said the fresh infections were found out of 1516 samples taken for testing over the last 24 hours.
Dr. Rashid also warned some of the youths who under the National Hygiene Initiative programme that was aimed to economically empower them have now come out to undermine the objective of the program by forcefully demanding money from individuals within their neighbourhoods while others are harassing and robbing commuters under the pretext that they are not wearing masks or not observing social distancing.
Ag. Director General Ministry of Health Dr. Patrick Amoth said testing at the border is imperative for the governments along the borders in accordance with the WHO guidelines.
On the Mobile Laboratory that will be set in Namanga border points, Dr. Amoth said it will address the snarl up at the border and ensure seamless movement of cargo from our neighboring country.
