Eva Nyambura
Government spokesperson Cyrus Oguna has dispelled rumours that a coronavirus patient is admitted at the Kenyatta National Hospital.
According to Oguna, the claims are false and inciteful. He added that Kenya is yet to report a positive case.
“The public is requested to ignore such messages and is reassured that everything is under control,” he said.
The hospital too dismissed the claims.
“The information circulating on social media that there is a confirmed case of COVID 2019 Corona Virus is not true. Members of the public are advised to ignore the false alerts,” a tweet read.
The information circulating on social media that there is a confirmed case of COVID 2019 Corona Virus is not true. Members of the public are advised to ignore the false alerts. @CeoKnh @HezekielGikambi
— Kenyatta National Hospital (@KNH_hospital) February 29, 2020
The hospital did however confirm that two suspected cases of coronavirus were tested yesterday. The results were negative.
Earlier reports indicated that ministry of health officials were holed up in a meeting at Afya House following the positive diagnosis.
On Friday, President Uhuru Kenyatta issued an Executive Order over coronavirus, forming a task force comprising of Health CS and counterparts from Defense, Foreign Affairs, ICT and Transport.
The President said that Kenya is an international transport hub with 70 percent of passengers in transit, posing a great risk to those in the points of entry and exit.
“There is a significant threat arising from the potential spread of the coronavirus to Kenya from countries that have new and ongoing outbreaks of the pneumatic disease,” the President said in a statement.
The task force has been tasked to coordinate preparedness, prevention and response as well as coordinate capacity building of health workers. It will do so by enhancing surveillance at all entry points into Kenya and coordinate supply of testing kits, protective gear and other medical equipment.
He also ordered that the national isolation and treatment facility at Mbagathi Hospital be completed and ready to receive patients within seven days.
Further, high court judge James Makau suspended all non-essential flights from China for 10 days.
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