Eastleigh and Old Town Contained as the Corona Virus Cases in Kenya Rise to 582
Cessation of movement in and out of Eastleigh and Old Town.
According to Mutahi Kagwe, Cs Health, the two Corona Virus epicentres in Kenya, Eastleigh and Old Town will be contained as a measure to curb the spreading of the disease in the country due to the increased number of Corona virus infections. This comes after 47 new covid-19 cases were confirmed within the last 24 hours in the country. Out of the 47, 32 were from Mombasa, with Old Town having 18 new cases and Eastleigh confirming 5 new cases out of the 11 cases from Nairobi. Other cases were reported in Kiambu, Kwale and Busia. According to the CS, there will be no movement in and out of the two areas for the next 15 days with Eateries and Malls being closed. The CS added that the residents will be allowed out of their houses but advised that the residents should try as much as possible to minimize their movements. This new precaution is to be effective as from 7pm on 6th May, 2020.
Mombasa Port
As a measure to reduce the spread of the virus through the port of Mombasa, the number of employees will be reduced from 6,200 to 4,000 with the government aiming to lower the number to 3,500. The Government says that the core functions of the port will not be affected since the employees taking leave will be those that offers auxiliary services that are not critical to the port. This measure comes after all employees aged 58 years and above were given mandatory leave since they are more vulnerable.
Truck Drivers to be Tested
Another measure that has been addressed is that of Truck drivers who transport cargo from Mombasa to Uganda. The Truck drivers will have to be tested at least 48 hours before they leave Mombasa and Nairobi. After being tested, they will acquire a certificate that will certify that they are free of Covid-19 and which they will have to produce at the Malaba border point as well as the check points. This measure will be applied to Truck drivers from Uganda as well. The truck drivers will have to undergo the test once again after two weeks since the certificate will be varied for only 14 days. This comes after a number of truck drivers tested positive for the virus.
Likoni Ferry
Due to the congestion at the Likoni Ferry, the government has introduced a new ferry to ensure social distancing which will be operational as from tomorrow, 7th of May 2020.
In additional to the measures the government has also added that the exportation of Flowers and other Horticulture produce will go continue. This is after the governmental approval of other airlines to export these products. It is also a relief to Kenyans after the announcement from the government that it will take care of the quarantine and testing fees, as a measure of ensuring that more Kenyans participate in mass testing that is being carried out in the country.
These measures come after the country has lost an additional two people to the virus while 8 others recover increasing the number of those that have recovered to 190.
