Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has hinted at reviewing
passenger flights between Kenya and India following an increase in the number
of Covid-19 cases and deaths reported in India over the past few days.
Speaking during an interview with Citizen Tv on Monday, April
26, 2021, Kagwe disclosed that the National Emergency Response Committee (NERC)
held a meeting and agreed on new Covid-19 measures which would be announced on
Tuesday, April 27, 2021.
“The first responsibility we have is the protection of
Kenyan lives and that we will not hesitate to do.
moment is essentially suspension of flights. However, this is an announcement
that we will make tomorrow,” Kagwe said.
Kagwe acknowledged that some people would be affected with
the proposed measure due to the fact that many Kenyans normally seek treatment
from India.
However, the Health CS noted that seeking treatment in India
currently was not a good idea owing to the fact that their hospitals are
currently overwhelmed. He revealed that those currently seeking
treatment in India would be given a window period to come back home before
the new measures take effect.
“This is not going to be an ideal situation either way, whichever decision we take, is going to hurt some people. Whatever we do will cause a cost. However, what we must ask ourselves is which the highest cost is and what decision must be made.”
This comes after India had reported more than 300,000 new
confirmed Covid-19 cases in a day and 2,812 Covid-related deaths for the fifth
consecutive days.
WHO chief Tedros Ghebreyesus said that it is doing everything
it can to support the country in the wake of the worst India’s Covid-19 second
wave.
“WHO is doing everything we can, providing critical
equipment and supplies, including thousands of oxygen concentrators,
prefabricated mobile field hospitals and laboratory supplies,” Ghebreyesus
said.
