22 Quarantined at Mbagathi Coronavirus Facility [VIDEO]

A medical practitioner dressed in protective gear at Coronavirus isolation and treatment facility in Mbagathi District Hospital on Friday, March 6, 2020.
A medical practitioner dressed in protective gear at Coronavirus isolation and treatment facility in Mbagathi District Hospital on Friday, March 6, 2020.
Simon Kiragu
KENYANS.CO.KE

Twenty-two people believed to have been in contact with the confirmed coronavirus patient were on Friday, March 13, quarantined at Mbagathi Hospital in Nairobi.

Speaking during a press briefing on Saturday, March 14, Health CAS Mercy Mwangangi stated that 22 close contacts were already in isolation at the hospital isolation.

"Specimen of the 22 are currently undergoing testing at KEMRI."

Further, she stated that 23 passengers who travelled with the 27-year-old woman have been traced and asked to self-quarantine for 14 days.

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Health officials went to the area to conduct tests on people who are believed to have interacted with the patient.

At the same time, the officials fumigated homes in Ongata Rongai, Kajiado County, near her home area.

The first case of coronavirus was confirmed in Kenya by Health CS Mutahi Kagwe in a press conference on Friday, March 13.

"This is a message from the emergency committee created by President Uhuru Kenyatta to deal with coronavirus issue. When I spoke at the Senate during my vetting, I said that as far as Corona is concerned, it is not a question of if but when it reached Kenya.

"I want to inform you that the Ministry of Health has confirmed the first case in Kenya. It was confirmed last night, Thursday, March 12," Kagwe proclaimed. 

Additionally, the CS stated that she is a Kenyan citizen who travelled back to Nairobi, returning from the US via London, UK on March 5, 2020.

"We really want to thank this lady because the moment she felt slightly unwell, she took herself to hospital.

"She also gave a list of all the people she was in contact with since arriving, as well as their contacts, We have a response team that is tracking down all those people including all the passengers who were in her flight," Kagwe added.

Ministry of Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe addresses the media from the Mbagathi District Hospital on Friday, March 6, 2020.
Ministry of Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe addresses the media from the Mbagathi District Hospital on Friday, March 6, 2020.
Simon Kiragu
KENYANS.CO.KE