Kenyans have been told to be vigilant amid reports of five confirmed cases of the Indian Covid-19 variant in the country.
The cases were confirmed in Kisumu County.
A section of elected leaders from the lakeside county expressed shock when they learnt the news.
Kisumu Town MP Shakeel Shabir, his Kisumu West counterpart Alago Oluoch among others urged residents to be vigilant and keep the virus at bay.
Oluoch wondered how the foreigners came in from India and found their way to Kisumu at a time the government is required to be extremely vigilant in fighting the pandemic.
According to Kisumu County Health CEC Prof Boaz Otieno-Nyunya, the cases were discovered in samples drawn from eight workers at a factory in Kibos.
“The factory should be locked down until all workers are tested and treated,” Shabir said.
The county government said it had swung into action and was working with the national government to take appropriate measures.
“Following gene sequencing carried out on samples by the national government testing laboratories, it has been ascertained that one of the samples tested positive for the Indian variant of Covid-19,” Prof Otieno-Nyunya wrote in a notice dated May 5, 2021.
He confirmed that the five were in quarantine undergoing treatment following the diagnosis.
“The county government has confined those who tested positive for the Indian variant and is currently conducting an elaborate contact tracing to help stop the spread of the virus,” read the notice.
According to the CEC, the patients are recent arrivals from India.
“All the eight, who were working at a local factory, are suspected to have recently travelled from India,” the notice said.
He said the county has moved swiftly to contain what could easily become a new emergency within a pandemic that has stretched the country’s healthcare system to the limit, with packed ICUs and wards the most visible feature of its adverse impact.
“At least 100 other workers who are said to have had close contact with them and have been placed under strict quarantine, as the county moves with speed to stop a further spread of the virus,” the notice reads.
Going forward, Prof Otieno-Nyunya reassured Kisumu residents of the county’s resolve to contain the situation.
He pleaded with the lakeside county residents not to panic, adding that the only solution to the current challenge lay in following the laid down safety protocols.
“The situation is under control but we urge Kisumu residents to continue adhering to the Covid-19 protocols to help keep away the stubborn virus,” said the CEC.
Prof Otieno-Nyunya said the county surveillance and public health teams were on the ground to handle any suspected cases of the Indian variant.
“Our disease surveillance teams are alert and contract tracing is going on. Our people must avoid gatherings and wear masks at all times,” the alert advised.
On May 5, 2021, acting director general of Health Dr Patrick Amoth said the recent lifting of travel restrictions could prove to be fertile ground for a new spike in infections should Kenyans became lax.
“We have seen a reduction in the case numbers which has provided temporary respite for the country. The latest cases could however spiral into a fresh wave if we let down our guard,” said Dr Amoth during a press conference in Nairobi.
The Indian strain has lately played a particularly deadly lead role in India, racking up record infection and fatality numbers in the last few weeks.
So far, the Asian pharmaceutical, technological and industrial giant is mourning the loss of more than 200,000 lives in the current deadly fourth wave of the pandemic.
With the strain now officially declared as active in Kenya, there is need for added vigilance among residents to ensure that they adhere to the Covid-19 preventive measures.
To avoid getting infected, Kenyans are advised to wear masks, wash hands, observe proper cough hygiene, avoid crowded places and practise social distancing.
Current Kenyan Covid-19 data indicates that 2,850 have so far died from the viral disease, after with recovering from the total declared caseload of 161, 393.
The May 5, 2021 data includes 489 new Covid-19 cases diagnosed from a sample size of 4,426y people tested over a 24 hour period.
A total of 1,164 patients are currently admitted in various health facilities countrywide, with 6,603 on home based isolation and care. 153 patients are admitted in ICU, with 28 of these on ventilatory support. Another 99 are on supplemental oxygen
By Thursday, Kenya’s positivity rate had slid to 8 percent. It remains to be seen whether the country can hold steady at that rate, despite the risk of more cases and variants coming in courtesy of the cross border travel between the East African region and the diaspora, among other destinations with Kenya-bound travellers.
On May 4, it was recorded at a mere 0.2 percentage point below the 5 percent that President had set in his last address as the minimum rate for reopening the country’s economy.
Meanwhile, Dr Amoth expressed optimism on the arrival of Astra Zeneca vaccines ordered from the Serum Institute of India.
“Hoping that the situation stabilizes, we are looking forward to get the second batch of vaccines around late May,” said Dr Amoth.
MoH is asking Kenyans to maintain safety protocols to keep new cases to a minimum and stave off a fourth wave of the pandemic.
Current vaccination statistics stand at 900, 459 Kenyans that have already received the jab. Out of these, 524,720 are aged 58 years and above. Included in this group are 140,354 teachers, 159,308 health workers and 76,077i security personnel.
Kenya is currently involved in talks with Johnson and Johnson for the supply of a still unspecified number of doses.
The country has also set aside Sh7 billion for the purchase of additional vaccines in the next financial year.