Kenya School of Government quarantine facility closed – VIDEO
The Kenya School of Government in Nairobi has been closed as a quarantine facility. The institution was closed after the remaining 90 individuals were allowed to go home after clearing the bills.
For a month, 140 people were held in quarantine after they arrived in the country on March 22, just as the country introduced mandatory quarantine for travellers entering the country.
VACATED
On the eighth day, four people from this facility were confirmed positive and subsequently taken to different hospitals. Two have fully recovered. The officials were also tested for Covid-19, and the results were negative.
The rooms of the four were marked; all their belongings were still in the room at the time of fumigation. The fumigators made sure every corner of the room was disinfected, including their belongings.
The facility had two Public Health Officers, six nurses, and a clinical psychologist.
On Thursday, Dr Philip Tendet, who was in charge of the facility, led other Public Health workers to disinfect the facility for the second time.
“The center has been vacated, but before we hand it over to the Kenya School of Government and for the general use by the public again, we want to make sure it’s well disinfected. It will not have any risk to anyone who comes here. We will use fumigation method of disinfection, that is using fume gun and also fogging,” Dr Tendet said.
Fumigation and fogging are two methods commonly used in pharmaceutical companies to control microbial contamination in a controlled area.
QUARANTINE
At the facility, the individuals, who each had their own rooms, were allowed to walk around the compound as long as they adhered to measures that were set by the Ministry of Health to contain the spread of the virus.
“They were allowed to walk around the compound, to the field but maintaining social distance,” Dr Tendet said.
KSG was one of the facilities that were affected by the extension of the quarantine period.
The directive from the acting Director-General for Health Patrick Amoth was informed by the fact that some of those quarantined in the same facility had tested positive, and they were not observing social distancing.
At KSG, four individuals were arrested and taken to Spring Valley Police Station for disregarding the measures put in place.
“We had cases of indiscipline because of people not observing social distance, playing loud music, and some of them managed to sneak in with alcohol. Police came and helped in restoring discipline. Four were arrested taken to custody but were later released,” Dr Tendet said.
HEALTH WORKERS
Dr Tendet also explained the work of the public health workers in the fight against Covid-19.
“Public health officers are the first people you will meet at the point of entry. The first time these people were coming into the country our public health officers were exposed. At that time no one knew about protective gears. Eventually we had the warning from WHO and the Ministry of Health,” he said.
“We have been moving into villages conducting public awareness. We do the screening of the suspected cases and only hand them over to the doctors after the case is confirmed,” he added.
It’s also the work of the public officers to do contact tracing of the close contacts of persons who have tested positive.
Further, Dr Tender said the Public Health officers are the ones who have been looking after persons in quarantine facilities, and it would be right if the government recognized their role in the fight of the pandemic that has so far infected 320 people in Kenya.
Other quarantine facilities that have been closed include Nairobi School, Lenana School, PrideInn Azzuri, Lantana, Panari Hotel, MTC in Karen, Trade Mark and Hill Park Hotels.