Kenya confirms its first new coronavirus case

Mutahi Kagwe, Kenya's cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Health, confirmed on Friday the first positive case of the novel coronavirus in the East African country. According to Kagwe, the positive case is from a woman who came from the US and traveled through London into Nairobi. He urged Kenyans not to panic and to remain vigilant so as to control the spread of the virus.

"I want to inform you that the Ministry of Health has confirmed the first coronavirus case in Kenya. The case was confirmed on March 12 and the patient is a Kenyan citizen who traveled back to Nairobi on March 5 from the USA via London," Kagwe said. "She was confirmed positive by the National Influenza Center. However, I would like to assure you that the patient is stable but she will remain in isolation until she is confirmed negative."

Kagwe said that the patient had traveled from Ohio through Chicago in the US before making a stopover in London for a connecting flight to Nairobi.

"We have identified the people she traveled with and those she had contact with. Our team has been sent out to trace them and have them checked," Kagwe said.

The ministry has consequently banned all public gatherings in the country and urged everyone to observe the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health. Kagwe also added that schools will remain open but interschool activities have been suspended. Prison visits have also been suspended for the next 30 days.

"As I urge everyone to observe the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health, I want to disabuse the misconception that the virus does not affect people of African descent. The lady in question is a 27-year-old African," Kagwe said.

While appearing before both the Senate and the National Assembly health committees on March 12, Kagwe said his ministry is ready to deal with coronavirus infections that may arise and a 300-bed ward has been set aside at the Kenyatta University Research and Referral Hospital for isolation purposes.

He also added that they have set up an 11-bed isolation unit at the Kenyatta National Hospital and a 120-bed ward at the Mbagathi Hospital in Nairobi.

The latest case brings the number of African countries that have confirmed the virus to 14.