Coronavirus Patient Comes into Contact with 85 People After Escaping from Mbagathi Hospital

The Health Ministry is tracking more than 80 people believed to have come into contact with a woman who tested positive for coronavirus.

The lady had been quarantined in an isolation facility located at Mbagathi Hospital in Nairobi but she escaped, according to the Ministry of Health.

A security team was deployed to track her down and she tested positive for the illness after she was brought back to the facility.

Speaking at a press briefing at Afya House, Nairobi on Wednesday, Health Director-General Dr. Patrick Amoth said the ministry has identified 85 of her contacts and is in the process of finding them.

“We had a patient who was brought to Mbagathi and she tested positive. She left the facility without authorization but through the security team we were able to track her down and have established her contacts.”

“As at now, we are tracking down 85 of her contacts and will give a brief on the results,” said Amoth.

During the briefing, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe announced Kenya had confirmed three new Covid-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections to seven.

The cases were confirmed at the National Influenza Centre and Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) laboratories.

The three include a couple who arrived in the country from Madrid, Spain via Dubai on March 5th and a Burundian national who traveled from Dubai and arrived on Tuesday, March 17th.

CS Kagwe indicated that the Burundian citizen was picked out during routine screening at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).