Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha, on Wednesday, March 10, sent a notice barring all students and staff at schools countrywide to avoid shaking hands over coronavirus.
According to a report by The Standard, the CS made the announcement as part of preventive measures to curb the virus transmission and keep infections minimum.
The announcement was contained in a circular dated Wednesday, March 4, sent to all regional, county and sub-county education directors urging the education players to be cautious.
“It is important that all learning institutions take appropriate prevention and response measures,” read a part of the notice according to The Standard.
He further urged the institutions' heads to liaise with health offices for proper information on the disease.
The disease has shaken the world after claiming more than 4,000 lives with over 1,00,000 people already infected with the disease prompting the World Health Organisation (WHO) to declare it a global pandemic after affecting more than 85 countries.
For a disease to be declared a pandemic, it has to have spread globally. A pandemic is judged by how widely it has spread and not necessarily how deadly the disease is.
A statement by the Council of Governors (CoG) disclosed that 14 counties had been identified as high-risk regions including those hosting Kenya's main entry points.
CoG's health committee chair Governor Mohammed Kuti noted that out of the country's 47 counties, only 23 were aptly prepared to deal with the disease.
The other 24 are in the process of setting up centers in line with the National Emergency Response Committee.
