• In the last two days, KPA has recorded 10 confirmed Covid-19 cases.
• The number of infections at KPA stands at 23.
More Kenya Ports Authority workers have been confirmed to have coronavirus after mass testing at the facility.
Out of the seven new coronavirus cases in Mombasa reported by the Health Ministry on Tuesday, five came from KPA.
On Wednesday, out of the six cases, KPA had five, putting Mombasa county’s infection rate higher than the national average with 67 out of the country's 303 confirmed cases as of Wednesday.
More people are feared to come out positive as samples are tested.
The total number of confirmed infections at KPA has now risen to 23, putting the authority at the epicentre of the virus in Mombasa.
Mombasa county has recorded more than 20 positives cases in less than a week.
The National Emergency Response Committee has been asked to review cases in the region, with a likelihood that the government may impose stiffer measures to curb the virus spread.
KPA principal public relations officer Hajji Masemo confirmed the figures and said the authority had received 1,000 testing kits.
KPA was testing 200 employees per day, Masemo said.
Last week on Wednesday and Thursday, 157 doctors and medics at Bandari Clinic were tested, with results turning out negative.
Mass testing commenced on Sunday, with 72 employees from the operations department being tested.
“Out of the 72, we got the five confirmed positive cases. The results came in on Tuesday,” the official said.
A statement from acting KPA managing director last week said the authority had scaled up efforts to curb coronavirus.
Some of the actions taken include conducting wide-scale fumigation to disinfect most areas within the port, mandatory screening and disinfecting of all cargo ships and crew, all offices and the Marine Control Tower Unit which was also fumigated.
Masemo said the confirmed cases were all asymptomatic. They were put in isolation at the Coast General Hospital.
“We are trying to make plans to ensure our workers are transferred to a private facility where they can get proper isolation and attention,” he said.
There have been reports that those admitted at Coast General share facilities like toilets and bathrooms.
“The risk of cross-infection at shared facilities is quite high.”
Three other KPA employees who had earlier been admitted at the hospital were still recuperating there.
On Monday, 204 tests were conducted on employees from conventional and containerised cargo sections.
KPA has about 7,000 workers and so far, from the national tally, two employees have died after contracting the virus.