Twelve truckers from Tanzania on Sunday tested positive for coronavirus and were referred back to their country.
This was barely a day after President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered the closure of borders with Kenya and Somalia after an increase in the number of imported cases.
Government spokesperson Cyrus Oguna said 11 tested positive at the Lunga Lunga border, while one at tested positive at the Taveta border.
The move is likely to spark a diplomatic row between the two countries with reports already indicating that Kenyan truck drivers have been denied entry into Tanzania.
President Uhuru Kenyatta on Saturday announced a cessation of movement of persons and any passenger ferrying automobiles and vehicles into and out of the country through the Tanzania and Somalia international borders except for cargo vehicles for the next 30 days.
“All drivers of cargo vehicles shall be subjected to mandatory Covid-19 disease testing and will be only be granted entry in the Kenya territory if they test negative,” Uhuru announced.
Meanwhile, Kenya recorded 57 new virus cases, the highest number in a day since the first case was reported on March 13.
“Today’s Covid-19 figures demonstrate that the disease is still within our midst and the infection curve is yet to flatten. We, therefore, urge Kenyans to continue observing the measures advocated to flatten or curve and keep all of us safe,” Oguna said in a statement on Sunday.
The number of positive cases in the country now stands at 887. The 57 new cases were from 2,198 samples tested in a day.
The total number of tests conducted since the first case is now 43,712.
Twenty-two out of the 35 cases in Mombasa were from Mvita, four in Likoni, Changamwe and Nyalieach had three cases, Kisauni had two cases, while Jomvu has one case.
Cases in Nairobi cases are distributed in Kibera with nine cases, two in Eastleigh while two more were picked from a mandatory quarantine facility.
Aga Khan Hospital, Kamulu, Dandora and Pangani recorded one case each.
The one case in Kwale was in Msambweni, while the Kitui case was in Mwingi town.
The three cases in Kajiado were from Kajiado Central and Kajiado North each having recorded two and one case respectively.
Oguna said that even as the country battles against coronavirus, it is important to appreciate other conditions that continue to pose health challenges in the world.
"Such conditions include hypertension. The condition can be managed and treated through lifestyle modification and medication," he said.
Edited by EKibii
