Kenya confirms 3 cases of Omicron variant

Kenya has confirmed three cases of the Covid-19 Omicron variant.

Making the announcement in Mombasa Wednesday, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe while calling for calm said the virus was detected from three travellers, a South African and two Kenyans who have since been quarantined.

The Minister said several other samples were being tested and results would be released in two days to determine if the variant has spread. The latest development comes as cases of the heavily mutated variant have been confirmed in 77 countries.

World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that new coronavirus variant is spreading across the globe at an unprecedented rate.

The Omicron variant was first identified in South Africa in November, and the country has since seen a surge in infections.

Kagwe argues the country has a chance of mitigating the possible foreseeable spike if more Kenyans get vaccinated, warning county governments to ready COVID 19 isolation facilities countrywide once the waves hit.

The CS warned that the variant was highly transmissible but was less severe among those vaccinated.

He dismissed calls for a lockdown saying experts had advised against knee jerk decisions. Of priority he said was to get as many Kenyans vaccinated in addition to ensuring the counties preparedness to cope with a possible surge.

Kagwe on OMICRON
Lockdown is not the way to go for now, but our priority is to ensure our facilities are ready to cope with a surge, and ensure people are vaccinated. So far 95pc of hospitalizations are unvaccinated cases ^MK pic.twitter.com/1DEHZfLEzn

— KBC Channel1 News (@KBCChannel1) December 15, 2021

“Variants will come and go, but this is not the time for knee jerk reactions. The decision (MOH) must be on the basis of science and evidence and not emotions. We are still observing the situation” he told journalists.

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