The County government of Kisumu has scaled up measures to control spread of Covid-19 after the deadly and highly mutative Indian variant of the respiratory disease was detected in the area.
Kisumu County Health Executive Committee Member Prof. Boaz Nyunya in a statement to the media said eight cases of the Indian variant have been detected in the lake side city.
He said the variant was confirmed in samples taken from foreign nationals who work at a private company in Kisumu but jetted into the country recently from India the epicenter of the highly mutating virus.
Nyunya said, the county had subjected the foreigners to forced isolation and quarantine to contain possible spread of the virus adding an elaborate contact tracing underway to contain pandemic.
He said at least 100 other workers who are said to have had close contact with the eight have been placed under strict quarantine.
The CEC added that the eight cases are among the 100 Covid-19 cases confirmed in the area out of 150 tests taken over the last three weeks.
He asked residents of Kisumu to strictly follow covid-19 protocols to curb further spread of the virus in the area.
Meanwhile Acting Health Director General Dr. Patrick Amoth who also confirmed the presence of the India’s variant in the country said, the patients will undergo a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test to confirm the results.
This comes barely a week after the government suspended all flights to and from India where the new variant has so far claimed over 200, 000 lives.
By Chris Mahandara
