Nearly 500 of Kenyan cases came from Europe and Asia

Somalia, India and China contribute the highest number of imported Covid-19 cases in the country, the Nation can reveal.

A Nation review of the 17,603 positive cases revealed that 456 were imported. Somalia contributed the highest number of imported cases (96) followed by India (59) and China (47).

African nationals contributed the highest number of imported cases in Kenya, with 218 testing positive for the virus.

Overall, Somalia is responsible for a 96 cases, the highest among the 18 African countries represented on Kenya’s case list, followed by Uganda with 24 and Tanzania with 20. Other Kenyan neighbours are South Sudan (19) and Eritrea (12).

IMPORTED CASES

Also on the African list are Burundi (8), Nigeria (5), Republic of Congo (8), and South Africa (7).

The second highest number of imported cases came from Asia (129 cases). India has a total of 59 cases followed by China (47) and Pakistan (8).

The cases from Europe include Britain (37), France (10) and Austria (4).

But even with the significant number of imported cases, 21 counties have not reported any, meaning that the imported 456 cases have been confirmed in only 13 counties.

Nairobi has the highest number of imported cases (178) followed by Mombasa (43).

Wajir County has more imported cases (14) than the locally transmitted infections (10).

The counties with zero imported cases are Bomet, which as at Sunday had 18 positive cases, Elgeyo Marakwet (1), Embu (7), Isiolo (14), Laikipia (40), Lamu (27), Machakos (15), Machakos (674), Makueni (113), Marsabit ( 8), Meru (32), Muranga (39), Nandi (8), Narok (66), Nyamira (6), Nyandarua (5), Nyeri (66), Tana River (3), Tharaka Nithi (2), Trans Nzoia (10) and Vihiga at 12.

Speaking with the Nation, Dr Bernard Muia, a public health expert, said Covid-19 is a communicable disease and was probably spread in these counties through inter-county movements given that borders are porous.

AVOID IMPORTS

Currently, there is a sustained community transmission of Covid-19, with 45 counties having reported at least one case.

Other counties that do have imported cases are Machakos, which had 689 cases as of Monday and Makueni with 113 cases.

Most of the cases in Machakos are concentrated in Athi River, which is only a few kilometers away from Nairobi central business district.

The imported cases were reported despite efforts by the country to ramp up measures to secure the borders and avoid virus imports.

While the numbers are largely made up of quarantined incoming air travellers, the government only enforced the mandatory quarantine rule on March 22.

Kenya suspended international flights on March 25, 11 days after reporting the first case.

However, it remains to be seen if the number of imported cases will go up with the resumption of international flights in August.

Five major airlines are set to resume flights into and out of Kenya from next week.