Health CS Mutahi Kagwe has said the coronavirus emergency response unit tasks will be duplicated to Counties countrywide to boost response preparations in case of a possible outbreak. Speaking after meeting Governors and other government officials on Wednesday, CS Kagwe said some Counties have already started establishing isolation quarantine units. The CS said behavioral changes must be set in place to tackle its spread, noting that there should be civic education in the Counties so that people know what to do, “If in a market place there was an issue, then you have to isolate the entire market…supermarkets have to introduce hygiene measures where people can be protected.”
So far, there has been no reported case of coronavirus in Kenya, with its global spread not relenting. On Tuesday, the government banned flights from Northern Italy, to the Kenyan Coast,notably from Milan and Verona, days after the High Court suspended flights from China. Italy is one of the hardest hit European countries. Latest African countries to record infections are Morocco and Senegal.
However, CS Kagwe has warned Kenyans against discriminating Chinese people on the basis that there are coronavirus cases in China, “It’s not acceptable to shout at people, scream at people and chase them away just because they are from the Asian continent,” he said adding that the number of those infected in China is small compared to the general population. He further warned Kenyans against spreading rumors on the coronavirus spread, saying spreading rumors on social media is a criminal offence punishable by a jail term and a huge fine.
On the factor of funding an emergency response, he said the World Bank has pledged to help. He noted that the World Bank Vice President visited the Ministry of Health offices and the government pointed out the weak areas where they have financing gaps.