16 more people have tested positive for Covid-19 in the
country, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 138.
In the last 24 hours, 530 samples have been tested for the
Coronavirus. 16 turned out positive, and they have been isolated.
The 138 cases consist
of people in mandatory quarantine and those identified through contact tracing.
Of the 16, nine are from the mandatory quarantine facilities while seven are
from contact tracing.
The Chief Administrative Secretary for the Ministry of Health
Dr. Mercy Mwangangi has explained that anyone who dies after contracting the
Coronavirus will be buried in 24 hours by less than 15 family members.
Regarding masks, she said the government is working on distributing
them to the counties and emphasized that Kenyans should wear masks when in
public areas such as supermarkets and open-air markets.
The health ministry has also noted that some private
hospitals are charging higher prices for personal protective equipment, going
as high as Ksh 8,000, adding that the authorities are following up on the
issue.
The government has also extended the ban on international
flights for another 30days in efforts to curb the spread of Coronavirus in the country.
Speaking during the daily ministry of health briefings, transport
cabinet secretary explained that the directive exempts cargo flights and those
evacuating foreign nationals. As for evacuation flights, the CS emphasized that
countries planning to evacuate their citizens should give a 72-hour notice.
To curb the spread of Covid-19 in the public transport
sector, the CS said that effective tomorrow April 6, 2020, matatu operators not
adhering to the government guidelines on hygiene and maintaining a social
distance in their vehicles, will be arrested and charged, their sacco license
suspended, and the involved vehicle impounded. The directive also applies to boda
boda riders defying the guidelines.
He explained that the transport ministry has noted that some
matatus are not following the regulations set in place to fight the spread of
Covid-19 in the country. He stated that some operators are overloading their
vehicles while some boda boda riders are carrying more than one person, which
is against the government’s directive on carrying only one passenger at a time.
On the other hand, prison visits are also suspended for
another 30 days.
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