On Friday, Kenya announced the first confirmed case of coronavirus in East Africa, as the region, so far unscathed by the global pandemic, scaled up emergency measures to contain its spread.
A 27-year-old Kenyan woman tested positive for the virus on March 12 in Nairobi, a week after returning from the US via London. She is in a stable condition and recovering, health minister Mutahi Kagwe told reporters.
“We wish to assure all Kenyans that the government will use all the resources available to fight the coronavirus,” he said, as the government rolled out a raft of new containment measures.
The government has traced all the contacts the patient has had since she arrived back in Kenya on March 5, he added. “At the moment, there is absolutely no need for panic and worry.”