Emergency staff training signals plan to return flights

Kenya's airport workers are set to undergo emergency Covid-19 intervention, indicating the government's plans to allow passenger flight operations in the near future, even as the country's confirmed cases passed the 1,000 mark on Wednesday.

The training of airport staff in Nairobi and Mombasa, supported by the German government through the East African Community, will begin next week.

Germany has also donated nine mobile laboratories to the EAC member states to enable them ramp up testing for the coronavirus.

“The procurement of these mobile labs is complemented by a training programme that is done by the renowned Bernhard Nocht Institute of Tropical Medicine school in Hamburg where laboratory staff in Kenya have undergone extensive training both in Germany and Kenya,” said German Ambassador to Kenya Annett Günther during the hand-over of the two mobile laboratories in Nairobi on Wednesday.

“Germany also supports the training of the airport staff in Nairobi and Mombasa on how to operate the airports under the impact of Covid-19. This training programme which is also done through the EAC will start next week.”

The labs will be stationed at Namanga border post and Naivasha dry port.

The ambassador also said that Germany was supporting the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) to carry out 800 tests a day, increasing the country’s daily sampling capacity.

This comes as Kenya announced 66 new cases, the highest count in under 24 hours, bringing total infections to 1,029.

The Ministry of Health announced an extension of lockdowns in Eastleigh and Mombasa’s Old Town area until June 6.

The ministry tested 2,621 samples on Wednesday, the highest number ever sampled in under 24 hours. The new Covid-19 cases indicate that the virus has spread to 26 counties after single cases were found in Makueni, Kisii and Kirinyaga.

Eight patients were discharged, bringing total recovered cases to 366.