NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 12 – President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday ordered the Ministry of Health to undertake additional preventive measures especially in informal settlements to forestall a coronavirus outbreak in the country.
President Kenyatta gave the directive after receiving the first report from the National Emergency Response Committee on Coronavirus chaired by Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe.
State House Spokesperson Kanze Dena said the Head of State, “directed the development of specific prevention strategies to take care of low income and vulnerable populations especially in informal settlements.”
“These efforts will leverage on existing community structures including chiefs, ward administrators, religious leaders and Nyumba Kumi elders to raise awareness and coordinate responses,” she added.
Kenyatta further ordered for a review of budgets on prevention of the virus officially declared a global pandemic on Wednesday by the World Health Organization..
“His Excellency the President directed the necessary review and adjustment of budgets towards prevention and management response actions, and to cushion the economy against the negative effects of the pandemic,” the statement read.
Dena further pointed out that the emergency response commitee together with the President agreed on enforcement of a directive barring government officials from undertaking non-essential travel out of the country.
Further, all educational institutions were directed to ensure safe hygiene is practiced and enforced daily, especially the washing of hands with soap and water.
China, has now come out to help nations affected by coronavirus, after managing the crisis at home where it started.
On Wednesday, China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang announced that the country has offered to help Iran, Iraq and Italy deal with the epidemic that has killed over 4,000 and infected more than 100,000 others in over 100 countries.
A team of five Chinese medical experts was dispatched to Italy, where neqw infections have been on the rise, along with a member of the Red Cross Society of China and a specialist from China CDC.
By Wednesday afternoon, coronavirus had killed 631 people in Italy, prompting a lockdown of major cities and closure of schools and a ban to all public gatherings.
The virus has left over 4000 people dead and infected over 100,000 others globally.
