Kenya has detected a variant of COVID-19 first diagnosed in India, the health ministry said on Wednesday. The variant was detected in five Indians who arrived in the East African nation on Thursday last week, just before Kenya banned flights to and from India.
This comes days after the same variant was detected in neighbouring Uganda.
Tanzania stops flights to and from India
Tanzania has also suspended flights to and from India amid the COVID-19 surge in the Southeast Asian nation, the country’s health ministry said, the latest sign of its increasingly active approach to tackling the pandemic under its new president.
It joins a growing list of East African countries that have halted flights to and from India, including Uganda.
The suspension is effective immediately and will apply until further notice, the statement from the ministry’s permanent secretary Abel Makubi dated Tuesday said.
Exceptions would be made for cargo planes and pre-approved flights on humanitarian, diplomatic and medical missions.
These are among the latest tough measures taken by the government to prevent the spread of the coronavirus since President Samia Suluhu Hassan took office in March.
Hassan’s approach has differed markedly from her predecessor John Magufuli, who downplayed the severity of the virus and encouraged natural remedies to combat it.
Kenya and Tanzania work together to combat COVID-19
Kenya and Tanzania have agreed to harmonise their COVID-19 enforcement protocols to contain the cross-border spread of the disease.
This follows talks between Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta and Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who is in Kenya on a two-day state visit.
The two leaders agreed that a joint team of experts will come up with modalities for mutual recognition of COVID-19 tests to allow the smooth flow of people and goods across the borders.
– additional reporting by Reuters
