COVID-19: Quarantine imposed on those entering Kenya

ANKARA (AA) - All passengers, including nationals from overseas, entering Kenya have to remain in two-week isolation at a hotel or government facility, authorities announced as part of efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus, according to local media on Tuesday.

The enforcement comes after the condition to self-quarantine voluntarily did not guarantee compliance, local website Daily Nation reported.

The government has imposed a daily payment of KSh 9,000 [roughly $85] per person for accommodation in selected quarantine apartments and hotels in the city center, according to KDRTV website.

Those who refuse to comply with the measure will be forced to board a bus either to Kenyatta University Campus or to Kenya Medical Training Campus for the mandatory quarantine, the website said.

The novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 that emerged in Wuhan, China, last December has spread to at least 169 countries and territories. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a pandemic.

The East African country has so far recorded 25 coronavirus cases, according to the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

More than 414,200 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed worldwide, with over 18,500 deaths and more than 107,800 recovered.

Italy, China, Iran, and Spain continue to be the most affected countries.

Despite the rising number of cases, a vast majority of those infected by the virus suffer mild symptoms and recover.