China Southern Airlines resumes flights to Nairobi, 239 quarantined

At least 239 passengers have been advised to self-quarantine for the required 14 days in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi.

The passengers according to Kenya’s Ministry of health had traveled aboard a China Southern Airlines flight that resumed its scheduled flights to Nairobi on Wednesday, February 26, 2020.

The ministry said in a statement that it is on high alert and all the 239 passengers had been screened while onboard and cleared before being advised to self-quarantine.

“The Ministry of Health continues to be on high alert to ensure there is the importation of COVID-19 into the country,” the statement reads in part.

By press time on Wednesday evening, the deadly coronavirus that started in the Chinese province of Wuhan had been confirmed in 25 countries with over 80,239 confirmed cases and 2700 deaths inside mainland China and elsewhere.

Kenya’s Ministry of Health also advised Kenyans against non-essential travel to countries with confirmed virus cases.

“Members of the public are advised to remain vigilant as the risk is still high and to continue taking precautionary measures by maintaining basic hand and respiratory hygiene, safe food practices and avoiding close contact with people suffering from acute respiratory infections,”

Kenya’s Ministry of Health also noted that the East African country had no confirmed cases of the virus at the time.

The move was to allow the Chinese Airline to resume flights to Kenya’s capital was however welcomed with mixed reaction from the public amidst risk of the virus being imported into Kenya.

Kenya is also one of the many African countries with its citizens in Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus despite calls to be evacuated.