COVID-19 cases to rise as mass testing begins in Mombasa’s Oldtown

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A blood sample which has tested positive for Coronavirus. 1,344 more people have tested positive for the disease/COURTESY


More cases are expected to be detected after a free mass testing COVID-19 exercise kicked off in Oldtown on Thursday in Mvita sub-county.

The exercise expected to take four days started at Makadara where testing is expected to be conducted on Thursday and Friday before moving to Tijara in Bondeni on Saturday.

The testing will later move the Eleven house on Monday.

READ ALSO: Tanzania’s COVID-19 cases hit 480 after 196 more test positive

Health experts have warned that in places where mass testing is not being conducted; fewer cases are being detected.

Last week, Mombasa county health CEC Hazel Koitaba said the surge in the number of positive cases in the county was due to the mass testing being undertaken at the port of Mombasa.

Already, a mass testing exercise is being carried out at the port of Mombasa which recorded the first COVID-19 related death in the county.

This comes just a day after the cases in Mombasa surpassed the 100 mark with the detection of nine more cases

Bondeni and Old town areas have continued to record the highest number of cases in the county recording six cases over the past two days.

This comes amidst a countrywide shortage of testing kits.

On Tuesday, the KEMRI director Yeri Kombe said the institution is out of equipment, supplies, reagents, and materials used in screening and testing of COVID-19 patients.

Kombe added that the institution needed sh 540 million to restock the necessary equipment and reagents.

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