The coronavirus lockdown

The government has banned all international conferences in a bid to keep the corona virus at bay.

Major sports events, scientific conferences and concerts have also been postponed to later dates as the government seeks to control the narrative on social media.

Public transportation may also soon be confined to stringent regulations in the latest indication that the government is not leaving anything to chance as the virus’ global spread continues.

“It is a criminal offence to forward a message which you know is not true; you can get arrested, charged and fined,” Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said.

Travel ban

In keeping with what other countries are doing, the government also announced a partial travel ban on all government officials.

“Government officers cannot travel if they are going to countries that are affected, be it for conferences or meetings, unless it is absolutely necessary,” Kagwe said, adding that the government will meet stakeholders within the matatu industry next week “to help build preparedness”.

The corona virus, whose proper name is COVID-19, has infected 100,162 people globally, with 3,406 deaths reported by Friday. Kenya has 23 suspected cases, all of which have tested negative; the latest involving a German couple that was quarantined in Mombasa.

Kagwe was speaking at the unveiling of a 120-bed capacity isolation wing at Mbagathi County Hospital by the National Emergency Response Committee which he chairs.

The isolation unit sits on two floors of what used be the maternity wing at the hospital. It however will be managed by the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH). The CS said the rooms have been fumigated and ready for use.

Additional treatment and isolation facilities could be set up at the Kenyatta University Referral and Research Hospital just in case Mbagathi is overwhelmed – if the corona virus strikes Kenya.  

“Level 4 and Level 5 hospitals are being set up and ready for this task by the 15th of this month. The committee will be moving around the country and working closely with the county governments to ensure preparedness,” said Kagwe.

Even as control at facility level are put in place, surveillance at border points has been stepped up with the government stating that vigilance had been heightened at border points. A Presidential Order has deployed the Kenyan millitary at all border points.

Kenya has also received 5,000 personal protective equipment with support from USAID to beef the few numbers that each county had. Each county had 25 initially. Kagwe maintained that the government cannot buy the protective equipment in bulk as they may end up unused since predictions are that the spread of the virus will start to subside.

Kenya is not the only country on the fringes of a lock-down. In Italy, the epicentre of the European outbreak and where 79 people have died, cities and towns in the north of the country have been placed under full or partial shutdown, effectively quarantining some 100,000 people. 

Closed schools

Schools are suspended, public spaces like swimming pools or parks closed, and major events called off to reduce risk of infection.

In US, cities including San Francisco and Seattle, and even entire states like Washington, have declared a state of emergency. This allows local and state authorities greater access to emergency resources and funding in preparation for a bigger outbreak.

South Korea, which has suffered the second worst fatality numbers after China, has declared “a war against the virus”, with the government proposing an extra budget of some Sh980 billion to fight the disease.

In some South Korean cities, authorities have aggressively rolled out testing, setting up drive-through testing stations where people can get tested in minutes, without leaving their cars. They have also employed a GPS system that sets off an alarm when patients violate quarantine at home.

As the global rush to contain the virus picks up speed, Kenya announced temporary lifting of the ban on flights to Italy to allow for evacuation of Italian citizens in Kenya.

Last week, the High Court banned all flights between Kenya and China following the arrival of 239 aboard a China Southern flight from Guangzhou, China. Italy is one of the most affected countries with 2,922 infections and 79 deaths.

“The flights will only contain their cabin crew, who will not disembark while the passengers are being picked,” read a Kenyan government statement.

However, as the Italians are allowed to leave, Kagwe maintained Kenya will not repatriate Kenyans stuck in China, including 90 students in Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus.

“Self-quarantine involves citizen and visitor responsibility because it is something we have practised even in times when we have common colds,” the CS said.

Before the establishment of the National Emergency Response Committee, communication from the government was dodgy at best, with taxpayers relying more on social media and international press.

Following public criticism on the manner in which information was shared, the government has now set up a messaging system that will give citizens regular updates on preparedness or other emerging corona-related information. This, Kagwe said, would cure the problem of rumours that have led to stereotyping.

“I want to put this thing in perspective, there are 79,000 people in China infected and there will be probably more but let us not forget that China has 1.5 billion people. If you do the math you will realise what the percentage is,” Kagwe said.

He said Africans should be the last to discriminate against others.

Radical measures

On self-quarantine, Kagwe sought to clear the air by stating that it has been ongoing over years. He clarified that the government cannot take a whole village or town and keep them secluded.

The billions of shillings the tourism industry earns the country are at stake as Kenya takes radical measures. This is coupled with cancellations by guests who planned to travel but have since changed their mind.

While acknowledging that measures like suspension of all international conferences slated to take place in Nairobi over the next one month will hit the industry, players however noted that this was necessary. Mike Macharia, the chief executive Kenya Association of Hotel Keepers and Caterers (KAHC), said the sector will have opportunities to regroup and forge ways to recover time lost once the virus is contained.

“We have to support the government’s efforts. From a business point of view, it is going to slow down the economy. We have already seen a number of cancelations in Nairobi, Malindi and Mara. Some places are yet to be affected but we are evaluating on a daily basis to see the exact impact,” he said.

The industry is a leading foreign exchange earner for Kenya. The sector earnings reached Sh163.5 billion in 2019, according to data by the Ministry, from 2.05 million tourists who visited the country last year.

Macharia added that the industry will Monday meet with senior officials from the Ministry of Tourism including Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala. Industry and government officials are expected “to share thoughts and ideas on how to approach the whole issue”. At the meeting, the players agreed to relax penalties levied on guests who cancel bookings.

Nairobi, whose tourism industry largely depends on conferences, is likely to suffer. The city has already seen a major sporting event, the Kenya Open golf tournament postponed.

It was scheduled to take place between March 12 and 15. Macharia said while the industry will take a hit now, it best to retreat now and take the losses while ensuring that public health is not at risk.

He noted there would be opportunities for the industry to recover in coming months.

“Nairobi depends majorly on conferences and will be affected,” he said.

“We might be losing money, but it is good to be sensitive about the health of the nation. The best thing to do now is agree how to protect ourselves and our citizens,” he added.