How two unsuspecting Covid-19 patients travelled from Kilifi to Mandera by bus

At least 14 people in Mandera have been quarantined after they came into contact with two patients from the county who have tested positive for COVID-19.

The two patients, a brother and a sister aged 20 and 22, left Kilifi on the morning of 29th March heading to Mandera.

They arrived in Mombasa on the very day and spent a few hours in the town before leaving for Nairobi with the evening bus.

On March 30, they arrived in Nairobi and spent a night at a hotel in Eastleigh.

On the 31st of March, they left Nairobi aboard the Makha Sacco bus on seats that have been given as number 13 and 14.

The bus had a brief stop-over in Mwingi to pick and drop passengers.

They proceeded on their journey and had another stopover in Garissa for lunch.

The bus then left for Wajir but because of the curfew, they spent the night at Leheley, a 10 minute drive to Wajir.

On the April 1st, the bus left Leheley heading to Wajir town where they took their breakfast.

The bus then left Wajir the very morning making a brief stopover in Kutulo before the two arrived in Mandera on the 2nd of april and headed straight to their parents home.

For the next two days, the two stayed at home. But on the 5th of April, they started having COVID-19 like symptoms and were rushed to a nearby clinic in Mandera.

Mandera Governor Ali Roba is now urging all those who travelled on the said bus on March 31 to present themselves or self quarantine to avoid further spread of the virus.

“The Mandera County Covid-19 team has now embarked on contact tracing and the first 14 persons are under quarantine… immediate families and the nurses who attended to them are among those in quarantine,” said Roba on Tuesday

In Nakuru County, a similar tracing nightmare is underway with police now looking for 21 people who travelled by a Dreamliner bus from Mombasa to Nakuru with one of the passengers who  tested positive for COVID 19 about a week ago.

Rift Valley Regional Commissioner George Natembeya said the 21 people risk being arrested if they do not present themselves by last evening.

The Dreamliner bus left Mombasa on March 26 and arrived  in Nakuru on March 27 at 7AM.