The Government has banned Movement in and out of Eastleigh, Old Town Mombasa to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
These new measures were implemented following the increased number of cases in these regions which have since been identified as hotspots for COVID-19 by Health CS Mutahi Kagwe during the daily briefings.
“You cannot leave the area to go to another area. This will take place for 15 days,” he said.
The ban on movement has been effected today, May 6, 2020, from 7 PM and runs through for the next 15 days.
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According to the CS, the move to ban movement in and out of these areas is aimed to protect people who might get the disease from the movement of persons.
“These measures are supposed to protect those in the areas that might get the disease from the movement of persons,” he said.
Further, the CS has announced the closure of markets, restaurants and eateries within the two areas.
In addition, Kagwe announced that the cost of testing for COVID-19 would be taken care of by the government effective today thus urged citizens to go out in large numbers and get tested without fear that they would be forced to quarantine at their own cost.
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Public transportation into these areas has also been halted as henceforth, truck drivers who will be going to the port of Mombasa will have to produce a mandatory COVID-19 certificate to indicate they are free from the virus.
“Henceforth all truck drivers leaving the country will have to be tested at least 48 hours before they leave their destination. They will have to show a mandatory certificate to show they are COVID-19 free. This applies in the regions that have banned the movement in and out,” said Transport CS James Macharia.
In the new measures, only core functions will remain in Mombasa including loading and offloading Cargo at the port.
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For instance, employees at the port have been reduced from 6,200 to 4,000.
As of today, Kenya’s virus cases stand at 582 after 47 persons tested positive for the coronavirus. 18 are from Mombasa, Old Town while 5 of the 11 cases reported in Nairobi are from Eastleigh.
Two more people have died from the novel COVID-19, bringing the number of fatalities to 26. 6 others have been discharged. The total number of recoveries now at 190.
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