3 County Officials Back from Italy Placed Under Forced Quarantine

A photo of Kenya Red Cross paramedics and volunteers at the Nakuru County Level 5 Hospital during a training exercise on the proper use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) in light of the Covid-19 pandemic on Saturday, March 15, 2020.
Kenya Red Cross paramedics and volunteers at the Nakuru County Level 5 Hospital during a training exercise on the proper use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) in light of the Covid-19 pandemic on Saturday, March 15, 2020.
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The County Government of Kakamega has placed three of its officials under mandatory quarantine. The three officials attached to the Ministry of Water and flew to Italy a week prior for work purposes. On their return, they failed to observe the 14-day self-quarantine required by the government.

As per a KTN News report on Monday, March 23, the three had taken the trip to Italy to outsource water equipment needed by the county.

Watch the news briefing video below:

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The three had left a week and a half before but upon their return, they failed to inform the relevant authorities that they were back in the county or that they had returned from Italy, the country with the highest number of Coronavirus cases in the world.

It remained business as usual for the officials with their routines remaining significantly unaltered when they returned.

As per reports, the three continued to interact with members of the county giving little consideration to the dictates of self-quarantine.

It was only after the discovery that the three had arrived from Italy that their activities were stopped and the County Government of Kakamega placed them on mandatory quarantine.

Reports indicate that the three may have been in contact with the Kakamega County Governor Wycliffe Oparanya.

Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya addressing the media on March 16, 2020.
Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya addressing the media on March 16, 2020.
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The Governor had stated that he was ready to self-isolate if the need arose but he was waiting on the results from the tests done on the officials.

The three are to remain in the state-sanctioned isolation as the government tests them for the coronavirus.

Their test results are not out as yet and hence it cannot be confirmed whether they are positive for the virus.

The three may face arrest for opting to disregard the required 14-day quarantine, a fate already certain for Deputy Governor Gideon Saburi as per a directive issued by the CS for Health Mutahi Kagwe.

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