Kenya has issued an advisory for her citizens who are in Tanzania due to the rise in COVID-19 cases in the country.
On Tuesday, the Director of Public Health, Dr Francis Kuria told Kenyans in Tanzania to be more cautious of the virus. He urged them to get more informed advice on cushioning themselves from possible infection.
The Ministry of Health also warned Kenyans against travelling to Tanzania.
“We are asking Kenyans in Tanzania to seek informed advice about the disease.
“We are alert. We have heightened surveillance at the border to avoid any further imported infections. We have also advised Kenyans, in general, to avoid unnecessary travel to Tanzania,” Kuria said in an interview with a local radio station.
All border points to and from Tanzania are under strict surveillance.
The Namanga One-stop Border Post has heightened its surveillance since reports of the coronavirus surge were reported in Tanzania.
The Kenyan government has enlisted the support of Nyumba Kumi in villages neighbouring the Tanzanian border in a bid to stop those sneaking into the country.
Last week, Tanzanian President John Pombe Magufuli urged his citizens to start wearing face masks.
He seemed to acknowledge the presence of COVID-19 after months of living in denial and even declaring Tanzania COVID-free in 2020.
Magufuli even banned the Tanzanian Ministry of Health from sharing data on the number of daily infections of COVID-19.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has since asked Tanzania to make public the number of daily infections, deaths and recoveries.
Tanzania last updated her people on COVID-19 infection rates and deaths in April 2020 before Magufuli’s orders declaring the country free from coronavirus came into effect.
WHO also urged Tanzanians to take more caution in protecting themselves from the disease.