12 KPA employees test positive for Covid-19 – KBC

12 people have so far tested positive for the Covid-19 virus at the Port of Mombasa after five more cases were recorded over the weekend.

By Monday evening, 429 persons from the conventional cargo operations had been tested, five of which tested positive for the virus.

The five have already been placed under treatment at the Coast General Provincial Hospital as immediate contact tracing continues.

The five were part of 229 persons who were tested by close of business on Sunday following a mandatory mass testing exercise that kicked off on Wednesday last week.

1000 workers at the KPA facility are expected to undergo the mandatory exercise that is expected to last one week.

Last week, the government was forced to roll out stringent measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 that has seen the coastal town of Mombasa declared a hot spot.

With the Port of Mombasa having recorded a high number of infections including two fatalities, officials from the County Health Department were directed to pitch camp after 1000 testing kits were disbursed for mandatory mass testing that is currently underway.

Three teams comprising of three health officials have been stationed at the Dock Workers Union offices at Gate 5, Operations Conference room at the Headquarters and at the Container Terminal Operations.

According to KPA management, the week-long exercise has prioritized personnel from cargo operations and security officers, before extending the exercise to container terminus engineers as well as marine engineers and operators.

Meanwhile, traders ferrying imported cars from the Port of Mombasa to Uganda and Tanzania will be forced to look for alternative means of bulk transport to conduct their operations.

The move coming a day after police banned movement of the vehicle units in and out of the county following claims that they were ferrying people despite of the cessation order.