Coronavirus: Tourism stakeholders say panic could hurt sector – KBC

Tourism stakeholders in the coastal region remain apprehensive that panic generated by the coronavirus outbreak could sink the tourism sector.

Their concern coming amid renewed fears that the dreaded virus could spread its wings to the country with Nigeria having already announced the first case in sub-Saharan Africa.

World Health Organization has already warned that the window of opportunity that Africa has had to prepare for the novel Coronavirus is closing

Tension gripped the country last week after 239 passengers jetted into the country aboard a Chinese flight on Wednesday amid Coronavirus scare.

Malindi and Watamu which are popular Italian tourist destinations with over 70 per cent travel and accommodation bookings risk losing big time considering Italy was the first European country to report a major surge in cases of the coronavirus, with numbers quickly climbing into the hundreds.

In the meantime, a section of leaders in Baringo County have lashed out at the government for allowing a plane from China to land at JKIA saying allowing flights from the virus hit China was dangerous.

Baringo South MP Charles Kamuren put Cabinet Secretaries in charge on the spot accusing them of letting down Kenyans.

The Government has allayed fears of a possible positive case of the dreaded coronavirus in the country. The clarification coming in the wake of reports widely circulated on Saturday insinuating that a patient admitted at the country’s topmost referral facility had tested positive for the COVID-19.

Thailand and the United States has become the latest country to report its first death from Coronavirus, as the outbreak continues to spread around the world with more than 86,000 people infected.

Over 2900 people have died from the virus.