Testing resumes in Old Town as cases rise to 226

Residents of Old Town plead with some police officers to be allowed to walk back to their houses after buying goods at Marikiti market on May 9, 2020. [Gideon Maundu, Standard]

Mombasa’s Covid-19 case load shot to 226 with 18 deaths recorded by yesterday, amidst fresh details on infections among medical personnel in the coastal county.

Twelve new infections were recorded in Mombasa yesterday from samples taken in the previous 24 hours out. Mvita Sub-County accounted for eight of the new infections; and two each from Likoni and Nyali sub-counties. Two deaths were recorded in Mombasa yesterday.

County medical authorities resumed targeted testing in the blockaded Old Town, with 32 residents turning up on Saturday amid reports that a Covid-19 positive woman who vanished from the area at the weekend has surrendered to authorities.

But yesterday, no one turned up for testing in Old Town, which had recorded 73 positive cases by the close of last week.

On Saturday, the State tightened its blockade of Old Town with more security officers deployed to block all exits and banned hawking and restaurants within the ancient 75-square-kilometre sliver of territory of an estimated 28,000 people.

Streets in Old Town remain largely deserted, with most residents remaining indoors, save for the Kibokoni area where many sat idle or roamed in the alleys, many without wearing face masks. Residents shunned the testing centre at Kibokoni.

The unidentified woman was among five coronavirus positive people who slipped out of Old Town and went into hiding. One of them died in a house while three were captured hiding in a house in Kuze area of Old Town.

Initially, the woman was said to be hiding in Mtongwe area of Likoni estate, but yesterday Mombasa County commander Gilbert Kitiyo said she called pledging to surrender.

Mr Kitiyo said the woman said she ran away out of fear and panic, but was willing to come forward.

Kitiyo said the woman said she was living with a family in Mishomoroni area of Kisauni.

“I spoke with her and she said she was living with a relative in Mishomoroni,” said Kitiyo.

County medical authorities announced on Saturday that 4,726 people had been tested for the Covid-19 virus in the area since the county government launched mass testing on March 9.

Mombasa County Chief Medical Officer Dr Khadija Shikely said most Covid-19 patients and deaths are from Old Town, Likoni, Nyali.

Dr Shikely said that 400 people had been placed under isolation in various county government facilities, including Technical University of Mombasa and Coast General Hospital. Fifty people, she said, had been released after results showed they were Covid-19 negative.

She said the county had tested 300 medical personnel in public and private hospitals, with two doctors and eight nurses testing positive.