• County Commissioner Gilbert Kitiyo confirmed the cases, saying more samples had been taken for testing.
Learning in two secondary schools in Mombasa has been suspended after 15 teachers tested positive for Covid-19.
Mombasa county commissioner Gilbert Kitiyo said 11 teachers from Tononoka High School and four others from Mama Ngina High School have tested positive for the virus.
Kitiyo said samples from teachers at Star of the Sea Secondary School were also taken after suspected cases were reported.
Both the Star of the Sea Secondary and Tononoka secondary schools have been closed. Learning however went on at Mama Ngina High School despite the cases.
“We could be having several cases from Star of the Sea Secondary School but for now, the samples are still being analysed. We should have the results soon,” Kitiyo said on Wednesday.
Mombasa county Public Health chief officer Pauline Oginga said the management of the Star of the Sea School had requested for samples to be taken for testing.
A circular from the management, dated October 19 and signed by headteacher A. Mulinge, said the school had been closed for fumigation.
“This is to inform you that all school operations have been temporarily suspended with effect from today October 19 to allow fumigation. The school normal operations will resume on Monday, November 2,” the circular said.
Oginga said they were not in a position to confirm the Covid-19 positive cases until the results of the samples are given.
There were also unconfirmed reports that Kashani School in Kisauni had reported some eight cases of teachers and students who had contracted the virus.
It was not clear if the institution had also been shut down or if the cases had been confirmed.
Kitiyo, who co-chairs the Mombasa County Covid-19 Emergency Response Team together with Governor Hassan Joho, also confirmed that the Star of the Sea Secondary School had been closed.
But the health officer said, “We cannot take any action until samples are confirmed positive. They requested and we took samples. There were some suspected cases, prompting us to move in. We shall only swing into action when the results are out. For now, we cannot give out the number of samples taken.”
Oginga said the closure of Star of the Sea Secondary School was a precautionary measure by the management. There were reports that the issue affected senior managers at the institution.
"Once we get to know the numbers, we shall move to contact-tracing for those they interacted with, who include teachers and students and also their families and friends,” Oginga said.
Edited by P.O