Coronavirus: Govt Traces Four Contacts of Infected Priest

by John Paul Simiyu on Tuesday, 24 March 2020 - 1:42 pm

Medical practitioners at a Coronavirus isolation and treatment facility in Mbagathi District Hospital on Friday, March 6, 2020.

Simon Kiragu

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The County Government of Busia has reportedly traced four individuals suspected to have come into contact with a priest who tested positive for Coronavirus

In a statement released by the Governor Sospeter Ojammoong on his official social media pages on Tuesday, March 24, he announced that the four had attended a funeral ceremony conducted by the priest.

"The four had attended the funeral that was at Ugunja on Saturday the 14th March 2020, where one of the priests who jetted into the country from Europe, and had condoled with the bereaved, has been found to have been infected with the virus," the statement reads in part.

He added that the four individuals came from Matayos, in Busia County and that the area village elder had blown the whistle on their alleged attendance.

Busia County Governor Sospeter Ojaamong addresses a gathering in Busia County on March 9, 2020.

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Ojamoong further added that the area's leadership, led by the chief and the village elder, directed the four to self-quarantine as they awaited medics to carry out prerequisite health checks on them.

He also announced that the county had instituted measures to trace all the people that the four had been in contact with to curb the spread of the virus.

"Tracing the persons who have so far interacted with the four is of paramount importance, to control further possible spread of the virus. We will continue monitoring the situation and keep you updated," the statement concluded.

The government on Monday, March 23, announced that it had kicked off a search for individuals who came into contact with a priest who officiated a funeral ceremony before he was found to be Covid-19 positive.

The Rome-based Catholic priest in question is reported to have arrived in the country and officiated a burial service in Siaya County on March 14, 2020.

He also reportedly spent some time with a close family member in Nairobi upon his arrival, before travelling to Siaya by bus for the funeral service.

The announcement by Ojamoong comes at a time when the neighbouring County Government of Kakamega has placed three of its officials under mandatory quarantine.

The three officials who are attached to the Department of Water flew in from Italy a week prior but failed to observe the 14-day self-quarantine required by the government.