Kenyan authorities are on high alert following the emergence of a deadly new virus that originated in Wuhan City in China and is quickly spreading around the world.
The Ministry of Health issued a statement disclosing that enhanced checks were being implemented at all ports of entry with an alert sent to all forty-seven county governments.
"We have sent an alert to all 47 counties through the county directors. We have also heightened surveillance at all ports of entry and screening has started because we have a big relationship with the Republic of China.
"We have started screening for all passengers who are coming from China," Patrick Amoth, a director at the ministry, told the press on Wednesday, January 22.
The United Nations is scheduled to hold a meeting on Wednesday, January 22, to deliberate whether to issue a global emergency alert on the new Coronavirus, with four hundred and forty infections confirmed and six deaths reported.
Infections have so far been reported in a number of countries outside China including Japan, South Korea and the United States.
Airports around the world have implemented enhanced screening measures and checks for passengers travelling from China. With official statistics indicating that over 250,000 Chinese nationals traveled to Kenya in 2018, the country remains at risk of the virus being exported from China.
Enhanced checks have so far been set up at airports in Russia, Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, Australia, Nepal, the United States, Taiwan and Thailand.
Symptoms of the virus include difficulty breathing, fever and coughing.
Person-to-person spread has been confirmed but it remains unclear how easily the Coronavirus spreads among people.
The new virus has sparked fears due to its genetic similarities to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) which killed over six hundred and fifty people in China and Hong Kong between 2002 and 2003.
After the first infection in the United States was reported on Tuesday, January 22, American health officials disclosed that they expected more cases globally.
"This is an evolving situation and again, we do expect additional patients in the United States and globally," stated Nancy Messonier, a senior official at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Many victims of the initial outbreak in Wuhan, China had a link to a large seafood market in the area.
Chinese officials began exit checks for people travelling from Wuhan with other regions also undertaking measures to screen those arriving from the city.
“People’s lives and health should be given top priority and the spread of the outbreak should be resolutely curbed,” stated Chinese President Xi Jinping as he addressed the outbreak.
Watch a video of the Ministry of Health press conference below:
@MOH_Kenya has heightened survillance at all ports of entry & screening of passengers for coronavirus. An alert has also been sent to all 47 counties through the directors of health & @KenyaGovernors to widen efforts, Dr. Patrick Amoth Ag. DG confirms @CapitalFMKenya @KTNNewsKE
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