Kenya has barred the entry of foreigners from countries affected by coronavirus cases and suspended schools and colleges in a bid to reduce the risk of spread within the East African country, reported Bloomberg.
Kenyatta said the entry ban would come into effect in the next 48 hours and would remain in place for 14 days. Foreigners who have entered Kenya in the past 14 days have been ordered to self-quarantine.
“Only Kenyan citizens and any foreigners with valid residence permits will be allowed to come in provided they proceed on self-quarantine or to a government-designated quarantine facility,” President Uhuru Kenyatta said in a televised address. “All persons who have come into Kenya in the last 14 days must self-quarantine.”
In addition, all primary and secondary schools will remain close starting Monday, with boarding schools and universities to shut by the end of the week. Furthermore, the government has also urged all companies to allow employees to work from home.
Kenyatta also said citizens should avoid gatherings in temples, mosques and other places of worship as well as shopping malls.
“I want to assure you that my administration is at the forefront of managing this pandemic,” he said.
The announcement was made after Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe confirmed that two people who sat next to the first patient on the airplane as she traveled back from the United States via London had tested positive. Two more people have been tested positive for the coronavirus, bringing the total to three.
After originating in Wuhan, China in December last year, the virus known as COVID-19, has spread to at least 141 countries and territories. The coronavirus outbreak has so far killed more than 6,000 and infected nearly 160,000, Africa now has 25 countries reporting cases compared with nine a week ago. The World Health Organization (WHO) has already declared the outbreak as a pandemic.
