Mandera County has run short of Covid 19 sample collection kits as the region up-scales fight on the pandemic.
Area Governor Ali Roba said this at a press briefing on the pandemic status on Thursday after two persons from the county tested positive of the virus on Tuesday.
The Governor said there are 30 people in quarantine facilities in Mandera town who need to be tested forf the virus.
He said due to the Government ban on travel to Nairobi, means of transport to take the samples for testing have been curtailed.
Roba said the region has a fragile health system that is at the same time serving Somalia and Ethiopia besides area residents.
Contact tracing of passengers who travelled with the two persons who tested positive has begun.
The two whom the Governor said are responding to treatment travelled to from Kilifi to Mandera.
Mr. Roba said security agents have made remarkable progress in tracing the passengers who travelled with the two but phone contacts of some of them were not reachable.
The governor who is the chairman of development for Frontier counties called on the Government to set up a testing laboratory in the region to hasten testing in Northern Kenya.
The country has registered 184 persons who have tested positive of Covid 19.
By Dickson Githaiga
