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Kenya: Rising Virus Cases in Kibra Could See Area Put on Lockdown

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6 years ago

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The government has identified Kibra as a potential zone for lockdown after the constituency shot to national coronavirus infamy.

This is after the sub-county that hosts a huge slum population recorded a sharp spike in Covid-19 cases over the past two days.

On Wednesday, tests revealed 15 infections in Kibra while 13 were discovered Thursday, making the area a virus hotspot in the capital.

Acting Health Director-General Patrick Amoth expressed fears of deaths in the slum, where there is a high prevalence of HIV/Aids.

“If they are taking their drugs as prescribed, then they will be able to achieve viral suppression, and therefore it will not be a risk factor. But if they are not, then there is a high likelihood that we will register more cases and deaths,” he said.

The 80 new cases reported from 3,102 samples marked the highest daily rise in infections since the first case was reported on March 13. This brings the national tally to 1,109.

The new cases are spread in seven counties, with Nairobi accounting for 41, Mombasa 20, Siaya seven, Kwale six, Garissa three, Kajiado two and Taita Taveta one.

In Nairobi, Kibra had the biggest spike with 13 infections, followed by Westlands (nine), Lang’ata (five), Ruaraka (three); while Embakasi East, Embakasi West, Starehe, Kasarani and Dagoretti North recorded two cases each. Dagoretti South recorded one case.

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Mombasa’s cases were in Mvita (six), Jomvu (five), Likoni (four), Changamwe (three) and Kisauni two.

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In Siaya, the seven cases were found in Ugenya, while in Kwale the six cases are in Msambweni (five) and Matuga (one). Garissa’s cases were recorded in Ifo Camp (two) and Hagadera (one).

In Kajiado, the two cases are from Kajiado Central while the one case in Taita-Taveta is of a truck driver.

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe gave details of how mourners from Nairobi took the virus to Siaya.

“Somebody in Kibra, without the authority to authorise anybody to travel, signed a document that allowed and was respected by police all the way from Kibra to Siaya,” said Mr Kagwe.

He added that the more people flout the measures, the more the virus is going to spread further. “There is a reason why there was a cessation of movement in and out of Nairobi,” he said.

Nine more patients were discharged, bringing the total recoveries to 375 while deaths remained at 50.