Kenya steps up surveillance at border points over Coronavirus – KBC

Kenya has stepped up its surveillance at border points a day after the World Health Organization warned of a possible pandemic of the Covid 19 disease.

The Ministry of Health says it has enhanced its state of preparedness and no case of the disease has been reported so far. This comes as the Chinese state-run global times reported that scientists have made progress in developing an oral vaccine for the virus.

The globe is on high alert as the deadly continues to spread fast with more than 80,000 people infected while at least 2,663 others have died as a result of the virus.

And just a day after the world health organization warned of a possible global pandemic Kenya has intensified its surveillance at all points of entry, health facilities, communities and established a lab to test for the virus.

At the same time coordination committees have been established at both policy and technical levels and training of health care staff on prevention, early detection, management of suspected/confirmed cases is ongoing.

This comes as a hotel in Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands has been locked down after a visiting Italian doctor tested positive for the coronavirus.

Hundreds of guests at the H10 Costa Adeje Palace Hotel were initially told to stay in their rooms as medical tests were carried out.

Meanwhile Italy and Iran continue to race to contain outbreak of the virus. In Japan shares slumped owing to a global plunge on Monday sparked by fear of further outbreaks.

And the Chinese government has announced a ban on the consumption of wild animals and postponed the annual meeting of the National People’s Congress.

The state-run Global Times has reported scientists have made progress in developing an oral vaccine. A professor at Tianjin University is reported to have taken four doses with no side effects.

But experts warn that until full clinical trials have taken place it is unclear how safe or effective the vaccines will be and it could still be months before they can be made widely available.