The government has set aside a 120-bed isolation centre at Mbagathi Hospital in readiness to combat coronavirus.
This is in addition to the two temporary isolation rooms that have been identified at JKIA and another one set up at the Kenyatta National Hospital.
The government has constituted a multi-agency task force comprising the Interior, Defence and Foreign Affairs ministries for oversight and stewardship of national responses.
This is as the latest data shows that as at Friday, 31,431 confirmed cases and 638 deaths had been reported globally.
Out of these, 31,211 cases and 637 deaths have been reported in China.
“The government of Kenya continues to work closely with the government of China to monitor the well-being of Kenyans,” Health CS Sicily Kariuki said on Friday.
The government has further called on Kenyans in China on ‘non essential business to consider returning home.’
“The government continues to maintain a heightened surveillance system at all points of entry, health facilities and communities across the country,” Kariuki said.
She added: “So far, the ministry, through its surveillance system has been able to pick seven suspected cases that have all tested negative for the novel coronavirus.”
Scientists across the world are currently working together to understand the new coronavirus and how to develop a response, but much remains unknown.
The new strain, identified by Chinese authorities on January 7 and currently named 2019-nCoV, had not been previously identified in humans.
On Sunday, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced a Sh1 billion ($10 million) commitment in emergency funds and additional tech support to help responders in China and Africa contain the spread of the virus.
According to WHO, signs of infection include fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.
In more severe cases, it can lead to pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.
