Mass testing for COVID-19 kicked off in Kawangware, Nairobi on Friday morning.
The Health Ministry said mass testing is essential for tracking down cases with symptoms; identifying their household cluster and tracing people they’ve contacted & quarantining them until they are no longer infectious.
“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 on Wednesday.
“We are also looking at ways that will enable mama mboga to continue with her trade but at the same time adhere to social distancing,” Dr. Mwangangi added.
Reports indicate that so far, 14 people form Kawangware have contracted coronavirus.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said the mass testing exercise will help to identify members of community who have contracted the COVID-19 disease, enable them to seek treatment and curtail the spread of the virus.
Kawangware is deemed to have one of the country’s most vulnerable populations.
According to the Daily Nation, it is one of Nairobi’s most congested areas as the land on which the people live is smaller compared to, say Karen, where the population occupies vast land.
The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) census that was conducted last year indicated that Kawangware has a population of 291,565 people.
“An outbreak in such areas is more likely to spread faster and be harder to contain due to the way the socio-economic layout is designed,” Dr Robert Rono, an epidemiologist, told the Daily Nation.
He further noted that economic disparities, lack of jobs and the low earning power might be spread-factors.