The government kicked off mass testing in Kawangware on
Friday, a day after the ministry of health highlighted 13 Covid-19 cases,
placing the low-settlement area on radar.
For the better part of Friday morning, residents were seen
lined up in testing centers with the ministry officials taking up samples to be
tested.
“Mass testing is essential for tracking down cases with
symptoms; identifying their household cluster and tracing people they have
contacted and quarantining them until they are no longer infectious,” said the
ministry in twit seen by News 9 Kenya.
Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa also took to his
twitter handle, wishing health officials a happy Labour Day, and also
congratulating the ministry for kicking up the process.
CS Wamalwa tested for Covid-19. Image|Courtesy
CS Wamalwa revealed that mass testing the government has
also initiated mass testing to members of the cabinet and other arms of the government,
with an aim of putting the virus at bay.
“I want to congratulate the health ministry for conducting mass
testing in Kawangware and other parts of our Country including testing us in
the Executive and other Arms of government,” said CS Wamalwa.
Addressing journalists at Afya House Nairobi, CS Mutahi
Kagwe said that it is time to focus on local transmission citing from a case in
Kawangware , which has increased the total number of cases in the region to 13.
“This is a hotspot area and that is why we are doing mass
testing. From case no. 189 (Kawangware case) we now have case no.243, 244, 245,
258,269, and no. 270,” said CS Kagwe.
However, a section of residents in Kawangware have mercilessly
dismissed health officials sent to conduct mass covid-19 testing, arguing that
what they are suffering from is hunger and the government should first provide
food to them before moving to test.
In an interview with KTN News, the irked residents said COVID-19
is not in Kawangware and mass testing should be mandatory for everyone.
A section of Kawangware residents protesting mass testing. Image|Courtesy
“The sooner everyone gets tested and we deal with COVID-19,
the sooner we’ll get back to our ordinary routines,” said one resident.
CAS Dr. Mercy Mwangangi said on Wednesday that Kawangware is
under surveillance, a move that will help sensitize residents about coronavirus
prevention.
“Kawangware is an area under surveillance. We have identified
markets as one of the areas of transmission. We will deploy surveillance team
to different zones so to interact with public, ensure social distancing, show
people correct ways of putting on masks,” Health CAS Mercy Mwangangi said.
Meanwhile, mass testing also kicked off in Eastleigh, which
is one of the areas identified by the government for surveillance.
