A Kenya Airways passenger from China suspected to have contracted the deadly coronavirus has been quarantined at the Kenyatta National Hospital (K.N.H).
A statement by the airline stated that the decision to quarantine the Kenyan passenger who is also a student in the oriental country was reached by Kenyan government port health officials.
“Decision to quarantine the passenger was reached by the Kenyan government port health authorities stationed at JKIA,” read part of the statement.
Reports indicate that the passenger had been cleared to travel back into the country by China Port health authorities at the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport on Tuesday after being screened.
According to the airline, the procedure at the point of departure dictates that all passengers should undergo quarantine screening by health authorities before they can be cleared to board any aircraft.
They further stated that, as a measure of precautions, they isolated the passenger throughout the trip in line with the ICAO protocols.
Further tests were conducted on the passenger before the decision to have him quarantined at the medical facility was reached
The development comes barely hours after the Chinese embassy in Kenya assured the country that the situation was under control.
Coronavirus is mainly airborne and is spread from an infected person through coughing and sneezing. Close personal contact with an infected person through shaking hands or touching is also believed to transmit the deadly virus that has since killed over 80 people in China.
