Ban kissing and hugging in Kenya, Murkomen tells State

The Ministry of Health should ban kissing, hugging and shaking hands to fight the coronavirus, Elegeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen has said.

The virus has killed more than 3,000 and infected more than 90,000 people.

"Shaking of hands, hugging and kissing in Kenya should be banned. The President should be prevented from shaking hands," he said.

Via Twitter on Thursday, Murkomen said all visitors going to Statehouse or other offices should also be tested before meeting the President.

"This is a matter of National Security. The same should apply to the Deputy President and other state officers," he said.

"The managers of our schools, universities, churches and other public facilities should be taken through the preventive measures."

His sentiments come after Tanzania President John Magufuli exchanged a 'foot greeting' with opposition politician Maalim Seif Sharif Hamad.

He was observing new measures by the country's Health Ministry to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Governments around the world have also advised people to avoid hugging, kissing and shaking hands to prevent the spread of the virus.

Mainland China reported a rise in new confirmed cases of coronavirus on Thursday, reversing three straight days of declines, because of a spike in new infections in Wuhan, the city at the centre of the outbreak.

Mainland China had 139 new confirmed cases as of Wednesday, the National Health Commission said, bringing the total accumulated number of cases to 80,409. Authorities reported 119 new cases the previous day and 125 the day before that.

The increase was driven by more cases in Wuhan, the provincial capital of Hubei, where the virus is believed to have emerged in a market late last year.

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