The number of people confirmed to have been infected with Covid-19 in Machakos County has risen to five after two other persons tested positive for the virus.
The County Executive for Health, Dr. Ancent Kituku said the duo, both males, include a truck driver who was in transit from Malaba and a 32 year old man who had sneaked into the county from Kwale County four days ago.
According to the county health boss, the truck driver was picked at Mlolongo after test results carried on him showed he had contracted the deadly virus.
It is said the driver had initially been tested at Malaba for the virus before he was cleared to continue with his journey.
The second case patient is said to have initially travelled from Tanzania to Kwale County where he was put into quarantine for 14 days as required by the public health regulations.
However, upon the expiry of the period, he hiked a long-distance truck to Makutano Kyumvi in Machakos before proceeding to Kathiani to see his in-laws.
However, he was picked up by health team and immediately taken to Kathiani level 4 hospital after a public outcry erupted over his presence in the area.
Samples taken from him later tested positive for Covid- 19 at the Machakos Level 5 hospital.
Both patients are said to be asymptomatic and are currently admitted at the Kinanie Isolation facility in Mavoko Sub County as health officials embark in tracing all those who came into contact with them.
“The two patients will now be managed from Mavoko Sub County at Kinanie Isolation facility. Noticeably is that the two are not symptomatic,” confirmed Dr. Kituku.
Kituku is now advising the public to adhere to health guidelines which have been issued by the Ministry of Health in regard to preventing the disease warning that the county may be staring at hike in coming days due to illegal cross county border movements between Nairobi and Machakos.
“We urge our members of the public to continue observing all the precautionary measures as advised by the national and county government. We expect the number of cases to rise in coming days owing to mushrooming of illegal entry points that people are using to sneak in and out of the county which is partly to blame for many of the new infections,” he explained.
On whether the county had begun screening those visiting health centers for Covid-19, the officer said they were waiting for official communication from Nairobi.
He however faulted the idea of screening each and every individual coming to seek treatment saying it was not only unsustainable but untenable at the moment due to cost and logistical implications.
“Are we saying before the public visit health facilities we must test them? If that’s the question how do we get the sample collection kits to that lower facility?” he posed.
“We need to get further clarification because we have so many patients visiting our facilities so we need to get clarification from national government to know exactly how it will be done. Then from there we shall know how to progress,” he responded.
To date, Kenya has recorded a total of 715 infections, 259 recoveries and 36 deaths arising from the pandemic.
Globally, the disease has already claimed 291,961 people with 1.4 million recoveries having as at May 12.
More than 4 million others have been infected with the corona virus even as countries work round the clock to find a vaccine for the disease.
By Samuel Maina
