Health CS Mutahi Kagwe on Thursday, May 28, warned a Covid-19 patient who escaped quarantine at Mbagathi Hospital to turn himself in or the long arm of the law will catch up with him.
Earlier in the day, it was reported that a male patient escaped from the facility at around 8:40 a.m after threatening security personnel with a screwdriver and a knife.
The CS, who apparently was not aware of the incident, said his ministry had not been informed of the incident.
Kagwe nonetheless appealed to the patient to go back to the facility.
“My appeal to the person who has run away is to come back. If the escapee is among us, I appeal to him or her to kindly identify themselves to the doctors because if you are out there, you are infecting everybody that you come across,” said Kagwe.
“Even if you run, I want to assure you that we shall find you. The long arm of the law will catch up with you,” he added.
Kagwe also noted that the last time 50 patients escaped a quarantine facility, some surrendered themselves after becoming ill.
“I guarantee you that we will find you. We have got ways and means. So, come back, be isolated and after a few days, you will be okay. We will pray for you even if you are a sinner,” the CS said.
During the daily briefing on COVID-19, Kagwe reported 147 new cases from 2,831 samples, raising Kenya’s total to 1,618 positive cases.
The infections are spread across at least 11 counties with Nairobi recording 90 cases, followed by Mombasa with 41 and Kiambu with 3.
In Nairobi, the new infections were recorded in Kibra (35), Lang’ata (15), Makadara (9), Westlands (8), Embakasi Central (6), Embakasi West (5), Kasarani(4), Kamukunji (2), Dagoretti North(2), Starehe(2), Roysambu(1), Mathare (1).
Another 13 people were discharged, raising the number of recoveries to 421.
A total of 70,172 people have been tested to date, with the total number of fatalities rising to 58 after three patients succumbed.
