CAS Mercy Mwangangi addresses reports that 17 MPs have tested positive for Coronavirus

CAS Mwangangi addresses reports that 17 MPs have tested positive for Coronavirus

Brian Oruta

April 8, 2020 4:24 PM

She addressed the reports on Wednesday

CAS Mwangangi addresses reports that 17 MPs have tested positive for Coronavirus

Health Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Dr Mercy Mwangangi has addressed reports that 17 MPs and Senators had tested positive for Coronavirus, following a voluntary testing exercise that was done in parliament.

In a statement on Wednesday, Mwangangi acknowledged that they had seen the headlines on local dailies but said that the Ministry of Health had not received any official communication on the said cases.

The CAS called on private health facilities conducting tests on COVID-19 to share their findings with Ministry of Health to ensure that all the required procedures are adhered to.

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“It is important for us to ensure that indeed all labs conducting testing do follow the laid down protocols in terms of reporting any positive or negative cases that they may come in touch with. The ministry is aware and we did see the headlines reporting that there are positive cases of Coronavirus in parliament and what we have to say on this matter is that as it stands today and at this time we have no formal reporting of this cases to the ministry of health,” said Dr Mwangangi.

Health CAS Mercy Mwangangi Health CAS Mercy Mwangangi Pulse Live Kenya

The Health CAS added that the ministry was rolling out mass testing which will include testing of individuals in different institutions across the country, and that is the time they can be able tell Kenyans the status of COVID-19 in the institutions is.

“We are rolling out mass testing which will include testing of different institutions across the country and at that time we will then be able to relay to you what the situation may look like in parliament or judiciary,” she said.

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Dr Mwangangi added that: “It is important to note even us who invoke the Public Health Act we are taking seriously matters of confidentiality and ensuring the principles governing medicine are still adhered to.”

On Wednesday, local dailies (The Star and People Daily) published headlines stating that 17 Members of Parliament and Senators had tested positive for the novel Coronavirus after a voluntary test was carried out at parliament buildings, last week.

Brian Oruta