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Nairobi Metropolitan Service free Covid-19 mass testing nets 3144 in five days


At least 3, 100 Nairobi residents have been tested in the ongoing free Covid-19 mass testing in the city by Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS).

The 11-day free mass testing was launched on Wednesday last week and already 3, 144 people have been tested in five days of the exercise.

HOT SPOTS

NMS Chief Health Officer Dr Ouma Oluga said the turnout has been very impressive and they are planning to scale up the tests to aim at more than 1, 000 residents daily.

He stated that 703 people were tested in Eastleigh on Wednesday with another 427 tested in Dagoretti and Embakasi East.

On Friday in Utawala in Embakasi East, 1, 002 residents were tested; 427 tested in Embakasi West and on Sunday a total of 585 residents were tested in Starehe sub-County.

Dr Oluga said the exercise is aimed at mapping out hot spots in Nairobi where more effort in terms of public health measures is supposed to be directed to as well as mopping out cases to stop community transmission by isolating positive cases from the community.

“We are concentrating on informal settlements because they are difficult to manage like access to water, proper sanitation, physical distancing and restrictions on movement as this is one of the best ways of preventing more transmissions,” said Dr Oluga.

He pointed out that initially people were getting their results after 48 hours but now it is taking slightly more because of the huge number of tests coupled with other places in the country also bringing their samples to Nairobi for testing.

TESTING CENTRES

“We do not announce the results at the county level. All the results are consolidated in a national laboratory registry office and it is only the Ministry of Health that announces,” he said.

On Monday, the exercise is in Westlands with targeting people from Kangemi, Sodom, Bottom line, Deep sea City Park and City Park market.

On Tuesday will see residents of Langata and Kibera sub-Counties will be the target with the testing centers situated at Undugu grounds and Kamkunji grounds respectively.

The exercise will on May 27, 2020 head to Kasarani sub-county targeting community around Santon and Hunters with testing centers set up at Murema Primary School. The same day, residents of Githurai 44 and 45 in Roysambu constituency will be tested at Githurai Primary.

The following day, community around Mathare 1, 2 and 3, and Naivas area in Ruaraka constituency will be tested at Kwa DCC. Another team will also be in Langata at Kwa Chief to test residents of the area.

On May 29, the testing will be in Mathare sub-County with Huruma, Kariobangi North and Korogocho residents the target. Another team will also head back to Westlands at Cheleta Primary to test the community around Githogoro and Mji wa Huruma.

On the penultimate day of the testing, residents of Bahati, Civil Servants, Makongeni, Jana Villa, and Jogoo Road in Makadara constituency will be tested at Heshima Road Primary with another team pitching camp at Kamukunji sub-County to test the community around Shauri Moyo, Majengo, Jua Kali, Burma, Gikomba and Muthurwa at Muthurwa Primary School.

The exercise will then come to an end on May 31 in Kamukunji at Maina Wanjigi Secondary School.