iAfrica

Be Smart About South Africa

Kenya Bans All International Conferences For 30 Days In Light Of Coronavirus

Volunteers at the International Conference on Population and Development march through Nairobi on 11 November 2019 ahead of the opening of the summit on 12 November 2019. Picture: @NairobiSummit/Twitter

All international conferences for the next 30 days have been banned in Kenya as part of its efforts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The country’s Minister of Health Mutahi Kagwe has also issued an alert banning non-essential travel to countries with COVID-19.

WATCH: In 2 minutes: Why no one in SA should panic about Coronavirus

Kagwe has commissioned a 300-bed facility at Kenyatta National Hospital for isolation and treatment even though the country has no cases yet.

Earlier this week, organisers of the Kenya Golf Open Tournament that was expecting 144 players said the tournament would continue but they would not allow players who had been to places like China and Italy in recent weeks, as a precaution.

However, Saturday’s announcement by Kagwe that all international events were suspended for 30 days meant that the tournament that was supposed to happen next Thursday could no longer go ahead.

Kagwe said the country had trained and deployed 1,100 health professionals for the COVID-19 virus.

But he has warned against the stigmatisation of people from China and the East.

EWN

Share with your network!