• By Saturday, the country had 38 confirmed cases of the virus.
• One person has died since it was confirmed in the country.
Image: STAR ILLUSTRATED
The government has said there is a likelihood of an increase in the Covid-19 cases once mass testing begins on Sunday.
Health CS Mutahi Kagwe said the government has embarked on mass testing for those believed to have been in contact with Covid-19 patients.
So far, Kenya has recorded seven new cases raising the number of patients to 38.
Nairobi leads with 28 cases, followed by Kilifi, 6, Mombasa, 2, Kajiado and Kwale counties one each.
According to Kagwe, 833 people have been tested so far.
He said a total of 1,141 contacts are being traced
"We are closely monitoring 978 close contacts and we have discharged 163 after the 14-day follow up period,” Kagwe said.
He said some other three cases are admitted at the Mbagathi Hospital, waiting for test results.
“All the 28 cases in Nairobi we can confirm are spread across the city, your neighbor you will be surprised might test positive. With the mass tests we are doing, we are going to get more cases and that is how serious this disease is,” he said.
Kagwe said the mass testing targets some 2,000 people across the country.
The CS further dismissed reports that Kenyans were being forced to quarantine against their will.
“This is not a forced quarantine but a mandatory exercise as advised by the government. You are not being quarantined because you have committed a crime but to keep you safe. All you need to do is cooperate with the health and security officials,” he said.
He added, “I have a son and a niece who is in quarantine and there is no offense in taking preventive measures”.
Kagwe further dismissed the possibility of the country going into a complete lock down.
“It is amazing of how people are calling for a lock down when they are unable to follow a curfew. Many of us seem not to understand a lock down. It is not just a name or a word and as a matter of fact it does not contemplate that people are safe,” he said.
While reiterating a lock down would mean people don’t get out of their houses, the CS said the virus can be defeated by Kenyans doing what the government advises.
“We are only saying do as advised so that we do not get to a lock-down. Let us not just talk about lock down, let us understand what it means especially to those in the low income sector,” he said.
Kagwe said President Uhuru Kenyatta has looked at all scenarios possible to cushion citizens from the disease but with changed behavior, keeping distance and obeying the guidelines there would be no need to impose more measures.