Coronavirus: 11 contacts of Meru patient quarantined

Meru County surveillance team has quarantined 11 contacts of the first Covid-19 patient in a bid to contain the spread of the disease.

Nine contacts were picked at Kisima in Buuri East while two others were found at Gitimbine in Meru town.

More contacts are being traced at the patient’s home in Igoji, Imenti South.

The 23-year-old hotel worker is said to have travelled to Igoji after being tested and spent Sunday night at her relative’s house at the populous Gitimbine estate in Meru town, where she was picked on Monday.

According to Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, the patient was picked from a hotel whose owner decided to test all his workers before they resumed work.

“Fortunately, it was discovered on time and the hotel workers are quarantined,” Mr Kagwe said while emphasizing the need for personal initiative to contain the disease.

Speaking at Meru National Polytechnic while receiving donations of face masks and hand sanitisers, Meru health executive Misheck Mutuma said the patient was tested at Kisima during a random voluntary testing exercise targeting high risk areas.

"We conducted random testing for 71 people at Kisima on Saturday last week. Those tested were let to go home. More than 40 others were tested on Monday in the ongoing random testing," Mr Mutuma said.

Mr Mutuma said health workers are interrogating to the patient to establish where she could have contracted the virus.

"The patient was in shock and could not talk much yesterday but we are making headway in tracing all the contacts. However, she is in stable condition and being managed at the Meru Level Five Hospital," he said.

The health executive said random testing will continue with focus on high risk areas such as truck drivers and hotels.

Mr Mutuma called on residents to remain calm and observe all Covid-19 containment measures.

The Coronavirus Tracker