Government announces free COVID-19 mass testing in Umoja

The Ministry of Health on Saturday announced free COVID-19 mass testing in Nairobi’s Umoja estate.

The tests will be undertaken at the Umoja Health Centre by the Nairobi Metropolitan Service and the Multi-Agency Response Team.

In recent weeks, the MoH has rolled out mass testing in selected areas as it tries to curb the spread of the Coronavirus.

This comes just days after Acting Health Director-General Patrick Amoth said community transmission is on the rise and by August, the country might record 200 cases per day.

“Because we have established community transmission, it means the more we test the more we are likely to pick.

“It will not be a surprise if we test 4000 people and report over 100 cases,” he said.

Kenyans seem to have gone back to their normal routines despite the rise in number of infections and the ministry has warned that things might get worse.

According to the modelling done by experts, Kenya is likely to record over 200 cases per day between August and September.

Initially, the ministry had predicted 10,000 cases by April but Amoth said the cessation of movement and curfew imposed in various counties have been effective in curbing the spread of the virus.

“All these measures have led to a smoother curve,” he remarked.