• Their absence was realised on Tuesday morning when their colleagues went for breakfast.
• Last week, 32 people were said to have escaped mysteriously from quarantine in Mandera.
The government is pursuing 50 individuals believed to have escaped from quarantine at KMTC in Nairobi.
The 50 had been arrested for failure to adhere to curfew regulations. They are believed to have escaped on Monday night, taking advantage of the heavy rains to scale the walls.
Their absence was realised on Tuesday morning when their colleagues went for breakfast. Sources said they had been overheard complaining about the high rates they were expected to pay for the 14 days they would be at the facility.
Those at KMTC are supposed to pay Sh2,000 per day.
Last week, 32 people were reported to have escaped from quarantine in Mandera county in unexplained circumstances.
Accusing fingers, however, pointed at police officers suspected to have colluded with the individuals to aid their escape.
“We have received reports from KMTC and we have activated channels through the Ministry of Interior who are following up on this issue and we will be able to update you once all the information is collected and the investigations are undertaken,” Health CAS Mercy Mwangangi said Tuesday.
The CAS has warned the youth who are breaking curfew regulations on false belief that they cannot contract the disease. She said young people are as susceptible to the disease as any other.
As of yesterday, the global Covid-19 cases had surpassed 2.5 million with approximately 653,000 recoveries and 170,000 deaths.
“Here at home, the numbers have been rising every day. Even in this time we still have cynical Kenyans who hold the view that this disease is not real. This is very disturbing particularly in light of the growing numbers of people who are infected,” Mwangangi said.
She added: “As we continue this fight we note that there are some of us who continue to disobey the regulations and measures announced by the government. I would like to remind you that we are in a war situation against an enemy that is not a respecter of age, status gender, race and religion.”
Health CS Mutahi Kagwe during the Monday briefing emphasised that anyone found out during curfew hours would be assumed to have been exposed and will be taken to quarantine sites for 14 days at their cost.
More than 455 individuals were being held on Monday.
The number of positive cases in the country now stands at 296 after 15 more were confirmed positive yesterday.
These were from 545 samples tested. The total number of tests conducted in the country was 14,417 by yesterday.
Seven out of the 15 new cases were recorded in Mombasa, six in Nairobi and two in Mandera.
Six of the cases are from quarantine facilities while nine were picked by surveillance teams from various parts of the country.
The individuals are 11 Kenyans and four foreigners with no recent history of travel. Seven are men and eight women aged between 19 and 75 years.
The number of recoveries stands at 74 after five more people were discharged from hospital.
As per yesterday, 2,851 contacts had been traced by the surveillance teams out of which 2,121 have been released after completing the 14 days follow-up period. Another 730 were still being monitored.
“We have seen an increase in the cases in Mombasa. This is exactly pointing out to the fact that we have established local transmission of this virus and therefore communities do need to take charge,” the CAS said.
“Some of the measures we have been putting in place may not be well adhered to by members of the public and the only way we can flatten this curve is when we each take personal responsibility in doing the right thing.”
Mwangangi said the curfew was imposed not to punish Kenyans but as a mechanism for containing the virus.
“And for those who are flaunting the rules it is important you understand even by the very nature of you flaunting the rules you are putting your own life at risk, that of your family and the police who are here to assist us in this response,” she said.
Edited by Henry Makori