Ban on flights extended as State confirms 16 new cases

The government has extended the ban on international flights by 30 days as it confirmed 16 new cases of coronavirus.

The total tally of persons who have tested positive for the disease now stands at 142.

There have been four deaths while four patients have recovered. 

Suspension on prison visits has also been extended by 30 days starting today.

The extension of ban on international flights follows the expiry of an earlier one of 14 days, which ended yesterday.

Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia said the decision was reached after a meeting with the National Emergency Response Committee on Kenya's situation to which he is a member.

The suspensions, as has been the case, exempts charter flights from countries wishing to evacuate their citizens. 

"We do not want flights just landing at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Whoever is coming should give us a 72-hour notice at the very least," said Macharia. 

The requirement for notice before planes are allowed in Kenya was not there initially. 

The suspension also exempts cargo flights, which Macharia said can land provided they have no passengers on board. 

The provision on cargo flights, he said, was key due to shortage and need for medical supplies. 

"We are keen to import and supply medical equipment. In fact, we are already planning for a Kenya Airways flight to China on Wednesday to collect some key medical equipment," the CS said. 

Macharia, who spoke during the daily briefing on the coronavirus pandemic, lamented that some of the directives issued to operators in the transport sector were being ignored.

This is primarily by matatus, which were instructed to carry less than their vehicles' passenger capacity to ensure one metre social distance. 

Matatus are under instructions to ensure high standards of hygiene by providing hand sanitisers or handwashing points. 

"From tomorrow (April 6, 2020), any matatu not observing the directives will have their Sacco licenses suspended and the operators charged in a court of law as per the Public Health Act," said Macharia. 

Motorbikes or boda boda operators must also carry one passenger at a time and wear face masks at all times failure to which they too will be charged in court and their bikes impounded. 

The measures came after prediction that cases in Kenya may hit 1,000 this week, 5,000 mid this month and 10,000 by April 30.

Globally, the number of infections stand at 1.2 million across 183 countries with 65,884 deaths. 

Ministry of Health Chief Administrative Secretary Mercy Mwangangi said so far, 3,836 samples have been tested. 

Between Saturday and Sunday, 530 samples were tested of which 16 turned positive; among them 15 Kenyans and a Nigerian. 

Nairobi registered the most cases, at 12, followed by Mombasa with three and one in Kilifi. The counties have been singled out by the Ministry of Health as high-risk. 

Of the 16, nine are from a batch of 2,050 people who were put under mandatory quarantine by the government. This was upon their arrival from overseas before the suspension of international flights on March 25.

"This is a testimony that mandatory quarantine is aimed at protecting the country," said Dr Mwangangi.

The rest are from contact tracing of persons who had at one point come into contact with earlier cases. 

Some 11 of the 16 had travel history while five are local transmissions. 

The mandatory quarantine requirement, extended by another 14 days, has already been opposed by some of the those being held. 

However, Mwangangi said mandatory quarantine was necessary. "These are painful decisions that we have to take," she said.

Ministry of Health's Acting Director General Patrick Amoth said the ministry will not go back on its word to enforce the mandatory quarantine.

"Up to 55 per cent of the cases that have turned positive are from those held in mandatory quarantine. We will not waiver on the extension just to please some people while others are following the set directives," said Dr Amoth.