The number of Chinese Sino-Hydro Corporation Limited employees quarantined at a Kitui campsite since Sunday over the fear of Coronavirus infection rose to six on Wednesday.
Five of the workers joined their colleague who was on Sunday isolated in a room at the company’s Mutomo camp.
“Yes, the number of Sino-Hydro Corporation Chinese workers is now six. But it should be understood they are on voluntary isolation for 14 days,” Kitui chief officer for health Richard Muthoka said yesterday.
The company is tarmacking the Kibwezi-Kitui-Mwingi road.
Muthoka said the isolated Chinese are being monitored on a 24-hour basis by a medical team headed by Mutomo Medical Officer of Health Paul Kibati.
“They are cooperating with the medical team,” said.
The voluntary quarantine of the first Chinese worker after he arrived in Kenya from China on Sunday aroused suspicion after it was apparent that the company wanted to it to be kept secret.
Fellow workers spread the word that the isolation might have to do with coronavirus.
The isolation is a precautionary measure, Muthoka said.
“The speculation was fuelled when instructions were given to serve the isolated worker food through the window and the rest of the workers asked to wear protective masks and to spray the surroundings with pesticides,” he said.
The arrival of health officers at the camp on Tuesday did not help matters as it was interpreted as an attempt to conceal the truth on the isolated man's condition. “People suspected that the isolated man could be infected with the coronavirus,” the health officer said.
