Truck drivers now weak link in fight against coronavirus
By Sylvania AmbaniThe ministry of health has now shifted its focus to the country’s borders that have become high risk areas where coronavirus transmissions are taking place.
Health CAS Dr Mercy Mwangangi on Thursday revealed that truck drivers are becoming the weak link in the fight against Covid-19, with high recorded numbers.
Dr Mwangangi said this is due to human interactions on both sides of the country’s border and especially the porous borders.
“Due to the nature of human interactions it was not possible to keep the virus from crossing the borders. Our porous borders are the ones that have become the latest high risk areas with the transmission of the disease,” Dr Mwangangi said.
She added that the government is taking necessary measures to tame the cross border infections.
“The borders have now become our key area of focus. On Tuesday we informed you of a technical team that was sent at the Namanga border on a fact finding mission.
“The objective of this team was to assess the situation and recommend interventions particularly for truck drivers who are now becoming a weak link in the fight against the virus,” she added.
On Wednesday, the ministry of health referred back 25 Tanzanians at the Namanga and Isebania borders after testing positive for the novel coronavirus.
The Health CAS also intimated her ministry continued to witness a trend of emerging and increasing positive cases from the border counties.
“Yesterday as you are all aware we recorded 47 new Covid-19 cases, out of which 25 were Tanzanian nationals. At the border point of Isebenia, Migori county we continue to witness emerging positive cases. The government is closely monitoring these developments and putting in interventions,” Dr Mwangangi added.
She appealed to Kenyans living at border areas to actively exercise the Nyumba Kumi Initiative and report any suspicious individual who may have used illegal routes to enter the country.