Six Chinese nationals being quarantined in Mutomo in Kitui South do not pose any health threat, county health officials have said.
Kitui Chief Officer for Health and Sanitation, Dr. Richard Muthoka, said tests done on the six men have shown that they do not suffer from the deadly coronavirus.
The employees of Sinohydro Corporation, a Chinese civil and structural engineering firm constructing the Kibwezi-Mutomo-Kitui road, were isolated after jetting into the country from China on different dates in February 2020.
Dr. Muthoka spoke when he visited the road contractor’s Mutomo campsite.
But the six foreigners will be only be allowed to move freely after completing 21 days in isolation.
“Coronavirus incubation period is 14 days according to WHO but there is a presidential directive requiring that everyone getting into the country from China must be quarantined for 21 days as a precautionary measure,” said the Kitui health boss.
He said he has dispatched a surveillance team headed by Mutomo sub-county medical officer, Paul Kibati, to closely monitor the quarantined Chinese staff until the 21-day isolation period ends.
He was accompanied by Sinohydro Corporation’s Chief Engineer, Zeng Yun, who declined to address the press for fear of reprisal from his bosses.
On February 17, panic gripped Kitui residents following speculations that a Chinese national had been put into isolation after developing coronavirus-like symptoms but authorities later declared it as a false alarm.
