Kenya confirms first case of coronavirus in East Africa

Kenya has confirmed its first case of coronavirus, making it the index case of the "flu-like" virus in East Africa. 

Kenya's Minister of Health Mutahi Kagwe in his statement on Friday March 13, said the 27-year-old  lady who tested positive for COVID-19 on March 12, had traveled back to Kenya from the United States via London. She has been admitted at Kenyatta National Hospital's Infectious Disease Unit.

Kagwe said; 

“The case is a Kenyan citizen who travelled back to Nairobi, returning from the United States of America via London, United Kingdom, on March 5, 2020.

"The woman’s temperature had returned to normal and she is stable and recovering in isolation."

The Minister who disclosed that the lady will only be discharged once she is treated and turns out negative, also revealed that they have contacted other passengers who were in the same flight with the quarantined patient for testing

He added; 

"We have done all the contact tracing and have all the names including the people who sat next to her on the flights she took."