Individuals in selected mandatory quarantine facilities will have to stay for an extra 14 days, the Health ministry has said.
Acting Director General for Health Patrick Amoth in a letter dated April 16 said the decision was arrived at after it was discovered that despite the first extension of quarantine period, those in the facilities had failed to adhere to quarantine rules set by the ministry.
The letter is copied to all heads of directorates, all those in charge of quarantine facilities and copied to the Cabinet Secretary, the PS and the CAS.
The affected facilities include Kenyatta University, KMTC-Kanu Hostel, KMTC-Nairobi –MG Hostel, Kenya Water Institute and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.
According to Amoth, some of those quarantined in some facilities had tested positive for Covid-19 and have been transferred to designated isolation centres.
“This in effect means those other persons quarantined in these facilities are still regarded as contacts of positive Covid-19 patients,” the letter reads.
“After thorough evaluation of circumstances, it was observed that those in the following quarantine facilities did not maintain optimal social distance and instead had close contact and interactions,” Amoth said.
The DG said such factors facilitate transmission and cross infection, making it impossible to determine whether all those quarantined in the facilities are actually safe to be released into the general public.
“This is therefore to inform you to communicate to those quarantined in the above stated facilities that their mandatory quarantine period shall be extended by an extra 14 days. “
