Kenya’s High Court on Friday ordered the suspension of all flights from China to Kenya over the coronavirus outbreak, following a petition by the Law Society of Kenya, reported Reuters.
On Friday, the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) moved to court seeking orders to bar the government from allowing flights from China to land at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Another case was filed by two doctors seeking to bar people from China and other coronavirus-hit countries from entering Kenya.
The petitions were filed after the government allowed a China Southern Airline plane to land at JKIA on Wednesday. The plane had 239 passengers from China, the epicenter of the Covid-19 virus.
“I find that unless conservatory orders sought are granted Kenyans will continue to be exposed to the deadly disease coronavirus,” Judge James Makau said.
Justice Makau has suspended the flights for the next ten days and ordered the government to prepare a contingency plan on the prevention, surveillance, and response to coronavirus. Kenya has not reported any confirmed cases of the disease.
Meanwhile, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has issued an executive order directing that the 120-bed national isolation and treatment facility at Mbagathi Hospital in Nairobi to be used as an isolation center for coronavirus cases be completed within the next seven days.
The president ordered that isolation and treatment facilities be set up in all Level Five and referral hospitals across the country by March 15, 2020. He also ordered for setting up of a 21-member task force. The measures were announced amid a public uproar over concerns on the government’s readiness to tackle any outbreak.
“There is demonstrable and compelling public interest in further upscaling Kenya’s level of preparedness and capacity to prevent, respond to and contain this emerging global threat,” President Kenyatta said.
The coronavirus outbreak has killed more than 2,800 people and infected more than 83,000 others globally.
