Officials from the Ministry of Health, using handheld thermometers, screened citizens at random in various densely populated areas of the city, testing them for their body temperature.
A fever or a rise in body temperature above normal is a symptom of the Covid-19 virus
In photos seen by Kenyans.co.ke on 21 March 2020, the officials clad in protective gear including face masks, tested citizens who were well-organized in a queue for their body temperature.
Symptoms based screening is a crucial step in combating the virus as it allows officials to map how far it has spread.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke officials from Nairobi County Government Health Department revealed that they had 3 teams on the ground for this exercise and among the areas they were visiting included Muthurwa Market, Tearoom, and Machakos Bus Stop and the railway station.
In State House where the National Prayer Day was being held, guests who included clergymen and high profile, states men were also screened.
On March 19, CS Health Mutahi Kagwe in a public address announced random testing in several parts of the county, in a bid to curtail the spread of the deadly virus.
"We will embark on random screening in targeted areas for members of the public starting Saturday, March 21.
The exercise, that will be coordinated by the Ministry of health will involve other stakeholders such as Kenya Red Cross, security personnel among others," he stated.
Aside from random targeted testing in public places, the government has in recent days unveiled a raft of measures aimed at combating the spread of the Covid-19 virus, in which 7 people have tested positive for in the country.
