• Events that will take place in Kenya such as Beyond Zero Marathon will go on, he said.
• The ban has led to the postponement of the 2020 Magical Kenya Open golf tournament.
Image: MARGARET WANJIRU
The government has banned meetings, conferences and events of international nature to reduce risk of coronavirus infections.
Health CS Mutahi Kagwe said the ban takes effect immediately and will last 30 days.
Kagwe spoke to journalists on the country's preparedness for coronavirus at the Mbagathi Hospital Infectious Diseases Unit.
“A meeting that involves more than 15 people from Europe and the rest of the world has been suspended for 30 days," Kagwe said.
Events that will take place in Kenya such as Beyond Zero Marathon will go on, he said.
The ban has led to the postponement of the 2020 Magical Kenya Open golf tournament.
At least two other major international conferences set for Nairobi have already been affected.
These include the Next Einstein Forum Global Gathering 2020 that was to be held from March 10 to 13.
The 15th H3 Africa Consortium meeting has also been cancelled.
H3 Africa empowers African researchers to be competitive in genomic sciences, establishes and nurtures effective collaboration on the continent.
The meeting was set for March 8 to 13, in Nairobi.
Kagwe said other measures have been put in place through the heightened surveillance system in all points of entry, health facilities and communities across the country.
"There is a mandatory screening at all points of entry to minimise the risk of importation of the virus from affected countries," he said.
Kagwe said the government has temporarily lifted the ban on Italian flights to Kenya, but only to evacuate Italians.
“The flight(s) will only contain their cabin crew, who will not disembark while the passengers are being picked," he said.
About 800 Italians are stranded in Malindi, he said.
Kagwe said government officers travelling outside this country cannot do so if they are going to areas that have been said to be affected such as Italy.
"There is a ban unless it is crucial and absolutely necessary. Those supposed to clear travelling must be aware."
Kagwe said he hoped other countries will understand Kenya's predicaments.
Statistics from WHO indicates that 95,333 confirmed cases have been reported globally as at March 5, and 3282 deaths majority from mainland China.
Kenya has investigated 23 alerts involving 31 suspected cases that have all tested negative for the virus.
Two of the cases investigated recently were both in Nairobi.
The CS said sensitisation and training of health workers in both public and private health facilities and at points of entry were going on.
"About 1,100 health care workers have been trained and additional health workers have been deployed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The sensitisations will be cascaded to the community level throughout the country," he said.
Kagwe said the government is procuring additional 5,000 personal protective equipment with support from USAID. He said each county has 25 kits.
Governors have to ensure that necessary isolation wards in all Level 4 and 5 hospitals are set up and ready for use by March 15, he said.
The ministry is also exploring the possibility of using the Kenyatta University Teaching Referral and Research Hospital to offer additional capacity for isolation and management of Covid-19 cases.
He said the facility could provide 300 beds.
Kagwe urged Kenyans to maintain basic hand and respiratory hygiene and safe food practices.
Suspected cases in Kenya can be reported to the Ministry of Health through hotline numbers: 0800721316, 0732353535, 0729471414.