The government through the Ministry of Health has cautioned members of the public against profiling Covid-19 patients on social media platforms.
During the daily COVID-19 briefing at Afya House, Nairobi, Health CAS Dr Mercy Mwangangi said that contracting the coronavirus is ‘not a crime’. She said that profiling of COVID-19 patients was counterproductive to the Ministry’s efforts to combat the deadly virus.
“We have seen people sharing videos and pictures of Covid-19 patients on social media leading to profiling. This is unacceptable. It is important to note that contracting the disease is not a crime. Anyone can get it,” she said.
“Elevating stigma does not add value to the fight and ends up making out harder to contain the situation.”
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At the same time, Dr Mwangangi expressed concern at the high number of coronavirus cases recorded in Nairobi County urging residents to to ‘remain vigilant’ and observe all the safety rules.
As of Tuesday, the national tally stood at 10,791 positive cases. Five more patients succumbed, taking the number of fatalities to 202.
Total recoveries rose to 3,017 after 71 more patients were discharged.
