A shipping company, Pacific International Lines (PIL) on Thursday donated 1,000 facemasks to the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) to boost the Authority’s efforts in combating the spread of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) at the Port of Mombasa.
Pacific International Lines is a shipping company incorporated in Singapore in 1967.
Luis Piecho, General Manager, PIL (Kenya) Limited who presented the donation to KPA Acting Managing Director (MD), Eng. Rashid Salim, said his company was pleased by KPA’s measures aimed at curbing the virus.
“We have been in Kenya for more than 40 years and therefore we stand with KPA during this period in seeking to keep staff safe,” he said.
Eng. Salim thanked PIL for the donation, terming it a good gesture for the improvement of the safety of staff and other port users.
“We appreciate the long time partnership with PIL and we are very grateful for the support as we continue with the fight to ensure the port operations continue uninterrupted during this difficult health situation,” said Eng. Salim.
The PIL General Manager, was accompanied by Elijah Mbaru Ndung’u, Operations Manager, PIL (Kenya) Limited.
Eng. Salim said KPA has put in place measures to combat the spread of covid-19 at the port of Mombasa.
They include washing of hands at the entry and exit points including gates, offices, workshops, shipping yards and wearing of facemasks while within the port facility to prevent ‘explosion of infection cases’.
Motorists and pedestrians are undergoing temperature checks for signs of high fever and stick observance of social distancing at all times between persons within the port.
The acting MD said the Authority has also rolled out online (paperless) business process for container operations and repatriation of empties.
The new measures comes a week after all KPA employees aged over 58 years and those with pre-existing medical conditions have been sent home following an outbreak of covid-19 at the facility.
“Kindly note, social distancing is a mandatory government directive aimed at preventing and controlling the spread of covid-19 through avoiding or decreasing contact between persons to stop and slow the rate and extend of transmission of Covid-19. This is therefore, to remind all staff to adhere to social distancing requirement of at least one meter during any form of social interaction while at the port,” stated the MD in a staff circular.
Last week, an employee of the port, Ursula Buluma, 58, succumbed to the virus, becoming Kenya’s third confirmed casualty.
By Hussein Abdullahi
1,000 facemasks to bolster efforts in combating Covid-19
