17 students, staff at St Andrew's Turi test positive for virus

Seventeen students and staff members at international school St Andrews’ School, Turi, in Nakuru are among 23 new Covid-19 cases in the county during the last 24 hours.

The students, who are from abroad, got stranded in the school when Kenya suspended international flights, a source said.

The school attracts students from among other countries, the US, UK, South Africa and China.

County Health executive Kariuki Gichuki on Friday said Nakuru has 26 people with the coronavirus admitted at the Nakuru County Referral Hospital, while others are at Langa Langa Hospital and the Naivasha Level Five Hospital.

“Fifteen of the positive cases are in isolation at the former Rift Valley Provincial General Hospital, seven at Langa Langa and another seven in Naivasha,” he said.

Meanwhile, Governor Lee Kinyanjui has warned of increased Covid-19 infections in the counties following the lifting of travel restrictions by the President on Monday.

He warned that the opening of borders, coupled with increased laxity and reversal of personal responsibility measures would increase the rate of infections exponentially.

“The removal of travel restrictions should not translate to no caution, many people are slowly reverting to default risky behaviours,” he said.

Kinyanjui said the public must learn to impose personal restrictions to mitigate exposure because the next few weeks are critical to containing the curve.

He promised that his administration will continue being vigilant by enhancing screening at its borders, along the Great North Road which is used by long distance track drivers.

“We wish to inform the public that our Covid-19 surveillance team is more vigilant following the removal of travel restrictions,” he reassured residents.

 “The 111 cases are distributed across the county and by sector with 36 being alert cases, 28 truck drivers, 14 food handlers, two health care workers, four contacts of infected patients, one inmate and now the 17 from the education sector,” said the governor.

He said the Nakuru Covid Surveillance Team was tracing contacts of the positive cases, adding that the county has 203 people in self quarantine and seven at the Kenya Industrial Training Institute Quarantine Centre.

He urged residents to remain vigilant and observe prevention guidelines.