Health workers test positive for Covid-19 in Mombasa

A doctor, nurses and clinicians are among those who tested positive for the coronavirus, Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho has said.

The health workers are drawn from different health facilities within Mombasa county.

The governor insisted that a lockdown would be the solution to flattening the curve, especially in a county that has recorded over 50 cases. By Thursday evening, the cases in Mombasa were 69.

"Tough decisions have to be made," the county chief said during an interview on a TV station on Thursday night.

Joho called on Muslims to follow regulations during the holy month of Ramadhan.

“I have no problem praying from home. We can all pray from home. Ramadhan doesn’t mean we must go to the mosques,” he said.

The Muslim community had asked the government to extend curfew hours and allow them to be out until 9pm. They also wanted to be allowed to access mosques.

One of the clinicians who tested positive was an employee at Bandari clinic, but who had been admitted at Mombasa hospital prior to the virus spreading to the Coast.

“Our colleague had been admitted for two weeks over other complications, so we cannot say he got the virus while at Kenya Ports Authority and of course, he did not spread it to our facility,” KPA principal communications officer Hajji Masemo said.

KPA as at Thursday had 26 cases.

“We are still testing 200 employees per day in our mass testing exercise,” Hajji said.

The county government has ordered the closure of Bandari clinic, with eight clinicians being taken to quarantine. Two tested positive.

While defending KPA against reports that it is the epicentre of the virus at the Coast, Hajji said initial cases came from outside and not from the foreign crew on ships.

“In the case of the late Ursula Buluma, she had attended a burial in Kilifi where there was someone who was infected. She, in turn, infected a cleaner, who passed it on to three others,” he said.

Hajji said the case of James Oyugi, who worked at the conventional cargo department, was also similar.

Conventional cargo has the highest number of cases at KPA, with about 10 being confirmed positive.

Edited by A.N