A middle-aged man has been isolated at Taveta Sub-county
Hospital in Taita Taveta County after sneaking into the country from
Tanzania.
The man who is said to have escaped from a
quarantine facility in the neighbouring country was being sought by
authorities in both Tanzania and Kenya.
County health
officials in Taita Taveta said the patient was involved in an accident
and presented himself for treatment, unaware that authorities had
launched a search to track him down.
DID NOT DISCLOSE
Sources
at the hospital said the patient did not disclose that he had recently
travelled to Tanzania until a medic raised alarm after seeing his
details on social media.
"Medical workers at the hospital attended to him normally. Later
they were told that the man escaped from Tanzania while he was under
quarantine. That is when he was isolated," the source told the Nation.
The medics who came into contact with the patient have since been quarantined.
County
executive for Health John Mwangeka confirmed the incident, saying his
samples were taken to the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) in
Kilifi County for testing.
"We are waiting for the results to know whether he's positive or not," he said.
He
added that all staff at the facility have been adequately trained to
handle patients whether they are Covid-19 positive or not.
"We have started contact tracing as we await his results," he said.
ILLEGAL TRADE, CROSSING
Cases
of people using illegal routes at the Taveta-Holili crossing to and
from Tanzania have continued to be reported as residents fear that
coronavirus might spread into the border county.
Tanzania has reported a high number of confirmed Covid-19 cases at 480, currently the highest in the region.
Residents now fear that the swelling numbers might spill into Taveta border town.
A
Kitobo resident, Charles Mwangangi, said boda boda operators were still
operating normally in the area to sneak sugar out to Tanzania.
"They are using the porous border to do illegal business. I see them every day. Some of them carry passengers," he said.
Mr Mwangangi claimed that the operators were working despite the full knowledge of local administrators.
WARNING
County commissioner Rhonda Onyancha last week warned illegal sugar racketeers that they will be apprehended and charged.
She said the government will also place them in mandatory quarantine at their own cost and their motorbikes confiscated.
"We
have beefed up security along the border and anyone who will be caught
defying government orders will face the full force of the law," she
warned.
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