Three people in Kakamega county who were quarantined after exhibiting symptoms similar to those of coronavirus have tested negative for the disease.
Governor Wycliffe Oparanya on Friday said the three were in stable condition and under medical observation.
The first suspected case was reported on Wednesday after a Kakamega businessman who had travelled from Dubai presented himself at Kakamega County General Hospital with signs similar to those of the virus.
The second was a 19-year-old university student who travelled from Rongai in Nairobi to Khwisero and was quarantined at Mwihila hospital.
The third patient was a woman who travelled from Qatar a week ago and had been quarantined at her home in Navakholo.
“Kakamega had been put on high alert after the three cases,” Oparanya said. He announced formation of the county steering committee to coordinate prevention of spread of the virus.
He asked people living in urban centres to avoid moving to their rural homes to limit spreading coronavirus in case they were infected.
Oparanya said such movements would curtail efforts by both levels of government to contain the virus.
“There are people who are reported to be moving to their rural homes after the virus scare. This is dangerous because it will lead to infection of the elderly in villages who are vulnerable to attack by the virus,” he said.
He said that the county will receive three mobile clinics from the national government to facilitate testing for the virus.
Oparanya said the county had received 300 protective gear for use by medics involved in handling patients suspected to have the virus.
“The testing services have now been decentralized to shorten the period for testing suspected cases. Kisumu Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) has now been upgraded to a testing centre and soon Kakamega will be upgraded,” he said.
He said training on the measures to check the spread of the virus was ongoing saying the county had trained over 2,000 people, among them religious leaders.
Oparanya also announced formation of technical teams in all the 12 subcounties.
The teams will sensitise the public, oversee training, monitor the situation in the subcounties and report to the county steering committee daily.
Oparanya said his administration will ensure availability of water in all public markets in the fight against the spread.
Edited by Henry Makori
