A Roman Catholic Priest based in Rome who officiated mass and burial in Siaya County has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19).
According to the Health Ministry, an emergency response team has been dispatched to trace him and the many others he might have come in contact with during the said period.
This comes at a time when the cases of COVID-19 in the country have surged, with the total number of confirmed cases rising to 15.
Yesterday, Sunday, March 22, during a presser by the Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, 8 more cases were confirmed and together with the previous 7 they totalled to 15.
Read:Kenya Confirms 8 New Cases Of Coronavirus, Total Now Stands At 15
Kagwe stated that all the eight new cases were imported from Europe and America adding that five were Kenyans and three foreigners (two French Nationals and one Mexican).
The first case of COVID-19 in the country was reported on March 12, 2020, which was followed by panic buying and directives to curb its spread.
In a bid to contain it and stop the virus from spreading, the government under the directives of President Uhuru Kenyatta announced the suspension of travel from countries that had reported cases of COVID-19.
Learners in day schools, both primary and secondary, were also required to stay at home with boarding schools directed to close by Wednesday, March 18. Universities and other tertiary institutions were also ordered to suspend operations by Friday, March 20.
Read Also: List Of What President Uhuru Has Banned Over Coronavirus Fears
In addition, government offices, businesses and companies were asked to allow their employees to work from home with the exception of employees working in critical/essential services.
“In order to avoid the risk of transmission through physical handling of money we encourage the use of cashless transactions such as Mobile Money such as M-Pesa and credit cards. We appeal to mobile operators and banks to take note of the situation that we are in and reduce the cost of transactions during this period, ” the President said.
Uhuru also appealed to all Kenyans to avoid congregations including places of worship and minimize attendance to social gatherings including funerals and weddings. This also applied to visits to shopping malls and entertainment joints.
Read Also: President Uhuru Declares Saturday National Prayer Day Over Coronavirus Pandemic
However, although the majority of institutions adhered to the directive and suspended activities temporarily, some did not heed the advice and continued as usual.
For instance, yesterday, Sunday, some churches recorded low turnout with priests complaining of lack of tithing from their members while others proceeded with business as usual.
This, according to the Health CS puts the lives of many others at risk.
Consequently, he ordered the suspension of international flights, church, mosque and any social gatherings indefinitely.
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