Schools closed as Kenya, Ethiopia confirm more coronavirus cases

Kenya registered two more cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) on Sunday after confirming its first case on Friday. According to President Uhuru Kenyatta, after the first case confirmation, the government traced the 27 people who'd come in contact with the first patient, and two of them tested positive for the virus on Sunday. The government is now tracing the other people the two patients came in contact with. 

Kenyatta announced the closure of all schools with immediate effect and urged employers to allow their workers to work from home in a bid to combat further spread of the virus.

He also announced a travel ban to all countries that have confirmed coronavirus cases, and said only Kenyan nationals and foreigners with permits will be allowed into Kenya henceforth. 

Ethiopia which also confirmed its first case on Friday last week on Sunday registered three more cases of the coronavirus infections in two Japanese nationals aged 44 and 47 years, and one Ethiopian aged 42 years all in the capital Addis Ababa. According to the minister of Health Lia Tadesse, all the three new cases came in contact with the first patient. 

Africa which had largely been spared of the virus since its outbreak in China in December last year now has a case or more in at least 22 of the 54 states. It now looks like only a matter of when and not if the virus will come to Uganda after neigbouring Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo Brazzaville registered cases. There are 153,648 confirmed coronavirus cases and 5,746 deaths in more than 146 countries worldwide according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). 

African countries that have recorded coronavirus cases

1. Egypt
2. Algeria
3. Nigeria
4. Tunisia
5. Senegal
6. Morocco
7. South Africa
8. Cameroon
9. Togo
10. Burkina Faso
11. DR Congo
12. Cote d'Ivoire
13. Ghana
14. Gabon
15. Kenya
16. Ethiopia
17. Eswatini (formerly Swaziland)
18. Sudan
19. Mauritania
20. Equatorial Guinea
21. Rwanda
22. Namibia
23. Congo Brazaville
24. Central African Republic

How COVID-19 Spreads

A Person-to-person spread

The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person.

Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet).
Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.

B. Spread from contact with contaminated surfaces or objects

It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.