Health CS Mutahi Kagwe has gazetted some tough demands to landlords as Covid-19 pandemic continues to cause havoc countrywide.
In a gazette notice dated Friday, April 3, under the Public Health (Prevention, Control and Suppression of Covid-19) Rules, 2020, landlords were required by law to report any tenants exhibiting Covid-19 symptoms to any medical officer or an administrator.
“Every owner, person in charge of, or occupier of premises, and every employer and head of a household, who suspects that any person who is residing at his or her premises or who is in his or her employment, is suffering from Covid-19, shall notify a medical officer, public health officer, a medical practitioner and or the nearest administrator or take that person to a medical officer, medical practitioner or health facility for treatment,” reads a section of the notice.
Those who fail to comply with the law will be liable to a fine not exceeding Ksh20,000 or imprisonment not exceeding six years or both.
The notice also gives the Health CS powers to push for controlled lockdowns in different areas.
Kagwe will also be able, through a Gazette notice or newspaper advertisement, to declare some areas as infected with the virus before giving the way forward.
The notice also handed medical practitioners the responsibility of controlling the pandemic in their jurisdiction by offering information to the state.
Medics will also be required to inform the head of a household in case their kin dies of the disease.
“Every medical officer of health, public health officer or medical practitioner who becomes aware, by post-mortem examination or otherwise, that any person has died of Covid-19, shall immediately inform the head of the household, or the occupier of the premises, or any person who has been in attendance on or contact with the deceased person, of the infectious nature of Covid-19 and of the precautions to be taken to prevent its transmission to other persons
"Where any case of Covid-19 is transferred to a health facility, the medical officer of health or public health officer shall immediately visit and inspect the premises where that person resides and may; order all persons who have attended to or been in contact with the person to remain on the premises where the person was at the time of infection; cause those persons to be removed to a health facility or other suitable place provided for the reception of persons suffering from Covid-19 or for quarantine,” continued the notice.
Three counties; Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale, and the Nairobi Metropolitan Area were placed under a partial lockdown after registering the highest number of Covid-19 cases.
