Coronavirus: Kenya mulls suspending Nairobi-Rome flights

A Kenya Airways plane: Kenya is considering suspending flights between Nairobi and Rome. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

In Summary

• Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia told the joint National Assembly and Senate committee on Health that... flights between Kenya and Iran had also been cancelled.

By JOHN MUTUA
More by this Author

Kenya is considering suspending flights between Nairobi and Rome a day after it took a similar move on flights from northern Italy cities of Milan and Verona.

Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia told the joint National Assembly and Senate committee on Health that flights between Kenya and Iran had also been cancelled.

“Kenya does not have direct flights to and from Iran. We are also monitoring Kenya Airways flights to Rome and Milan because, as you know, Italy has been hit hard by the virus in Verona,” Mr Macharia told the committee.

Italy and Iran have reported the highest number of deaths from the coronavirus outbreak outside of China with 79 and 54 deaths respectively as at Tuesday.

Latest reports indicate that Italy is currently considering closing all its schools and universities up to mid-March to tame the spread of the deadly virus.

Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho, who appeared before the committee alongside Mr Macharia, however, said the government had not traced the 239 Chinese nationals who arrived in the country last week from China.