There’s outrage in Kenya after the government allowed a flight from China into the country carrying 239 passengers – as 57 other nations restrict entry of non-citizens from China, the epicentre of the coronavirus disease.
The passengers were asked to self-quarantine for 14 days and the government ruled out stopping airlines from China.
There are no confirmed cases of the disease in Kenya, although the World Health Organisation ranks the East African nation among the top risky African countries for infection.
Southern China Airlines arrived in Nairobi on Wednesday carrying Chinese businessmen and expatriates.
While airport officials initially refused them to disembark, they gave in and the government said the passengers from Guangzhou had been asked to self-quarantine.
Further revelations that the country has 11 beds in its isolation ward pointed to a lack of preparedness.
Kenya has refused to allow repatriation of its citizens who are students in Wuhan, the epicentre of the disease saying they are safer there.
As SABC News’ Sarah Kimani reports, Nairobi is now ranked sixth among African cities whose populations are at high risk of being infected with Covid-19.
Live Tracking of the cases, death toll and other information:
