Health CS Mutahi Kagwe on Monday, April 26, hinted at reviewing passenger flights between Kenya and India following a surge in the number of Covid-19 cases and deaths reported in the country in the last five days.
Speaking during an interview, Kagwe stated that the National Emergency Response Committee (NERC) held a meeting and were set to announce the measures which would be taken on Tuesday, April 27.
"The first responsibility we have is the protection of Kenyan lives and that we will not hesitate to do. The option we have at the moment is essentially suspension of flights. However, this is an announcement that we will make tomorrow," the CS said.
The CS acknowledged that some Kenyans would be affected especially because many seek treatment from India.
He, however, noted that seeking treatment in the country currently was not a good idea, owing to the fact that the hospitals are currently overwhelmed.
"This is not going to be an ideal situation either way, whichever decision we take, is going to hurt some people. Whatever we do will cause a cost. However, what we must ask ourselves is which is the highest cost and what decision must be made."
The CS noted that those currently seeking treatment in India would be given a window to come back home before any measures are taken.
For the fifth consecutive day on Monday, India reported more than 300,000 new confirmed cases in a day. The country also posted 2,812 Covid-related deaths.
The hospitals are filled beyond capacity and unable to care for any new patients. The country is also facing a shortage of oxygen canisters.
"WHO is doing everything we can, providing critical equipment and supplies, including thousands of oxygen concentrators, prefabricated mobile field hospitals and laboratory supplies," WHO chief Tedros Ghebreyesus said.
Back in Kenya, CS Kagwe attributed the flattening curve to the stringent measures that were directed by President Uhuru Kenyatta on March 26, 2021.
He stated that statistics of counties without restriction measures indicated that the positivity rate was going up.
"It is directly attributable to the cessation of movement. For example, Nairobi used to be half of all the positive cases in the Country. At one time it was 56% but the statistics now have gone lower. If you look at those that don't have any restriction of movement, you will find that the positivity is going up," Kagwe stated.
