The Kenya-Tanzania border is still an area of concern with
the ministry of health reporting that there is high level risk for residents
living along the border to contract Covid-19.
Health CAS Rashid Aman said on Monday Coronavirus brief that
the daily results recorded by the ministry indicate that much needs to be done.
“The results that we get shows that there is high level of
risk from the Tanzania side,” said CAS Aman.
Dr. Aman noted that another key issue along the border is
the testing capacity, which is hampered by lack of laboratory facility, leading
to prolonged turn out of results.
Truck drivers along the border have been complaining about
the time they take waiting for the results, yet they mingle amongst themselves,
posing danger for further transmission.
The government said it was planning to set up mobile
laboratory facility to ease testing along the border, starting with Namanga
border point this week.
The CAS confirmed that efforts are underway to ensure that
the required turnaround time for tests is achieved.
Addressing the same issue, Dr. Ombajo said that the best
turnaround time for tests, which the ministry is working under, should be 24
hours.
“We appeal for truck drivers to show up for testing before
48 hours so that we get the results in the following 24 hours,” he said.
In the last 24 hours, the government turned away 53 truck
drivers along the border for testing positive for Coronavirus.
51 of these drivers are from Tanzania while two from
Burundi.
25 more patients have tested positive for Covid-19 raising
the total number of coronavirus cases in Kenya to 912.
The new cases involving 23 Kenyans and two Somali nationals were
confirmed following the testing of 1,139 samples in the last 24 hours.
6 of the cases are from Kajiado, and involves truck drivers
who tested positive at Namanga border.
3 cases were reported in Kwale, also from truck drivers at
Lungalunga border, as two other cases recorded at Taita taveta involving truck
drivers who were tested at Voi.
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