Ministry of Health Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Dr Rashid Aman has revealed a worrying trend among patients recently tested positive for Covid-19.
Aman was speaking at Afya House in the daily press briefing on Sunday, May 24, when he stated that the ministry was concerned by the number of patients providing wrong details about their close interactions, urging the public to take contact tracing seriously.
"On targeting testing, we have noted a disturbing trend of individuals who provide wrong contacts and telephone numbers during testing.
"Once the results are out such individuals then become unavailable. This is serious considering that some of them have tested positive and need to be contained together with their contacts," noted Aman.
The CAS noted that the situation had made it difficult for them to trace contacts and weakened their efforts in containing the spread of the deadly virus.
Aman highlighted the dangers of providing false contacts and encouraged the public to understand the implication of contact tracing on reducing the spread of the virus.
"I want to appeal to all our people to be responsible and provide accurate details during testing, the consequence of not doing so particularly when one tests positive can be disastrous.
"I want to tell such people too that by acting in this manner you are also exposing your loved ones to risk because surely you will be transmitting your disease to those that you interact very closely with," added Aman.
The CAS also assured those who will test positive for Covid-19 together with their contacts that the government will meet the cost of treatment and quarantine.
Contracting tracing on Thursday, May 7 suffered a blow as Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho revealed that five people who tested positive for Covid-19 in Old Town had disappeared with their families.
Of the five patients, one went on to succumb to the virus while three others were captured and taken in for treatment.
The country on Sunday, May 24 recorded 22 new positive cases bringing the total number to 1,214 while one fatality was reported raising the death toll to 51.
