Briefing Paper

Cross-border Control Measures to Contain COVID-19 Pandemic in Kenya

COVID-19 is a novel virus that first occurred in Wuhan, China in 2019 and has since spread all over the world causing a global pandemic that has been a global public health crisis. The virus is caused by a novel coronavirus known as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome – Coronavirus -2 (SARS-CoV-2). The mode of transmission is airborne via inhalation or by contact with infected droplets on contaminated surfaces; with the incubation period ranging from 2 to 14 days (1). The disease is mild in most people; but in some (e.g. the elderly, those with co-morbidities) it may progress to pneumonia, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and multi organ dysfunction/failure. Many people are however, generally asymptomatic within the population and the overall case fatality is about 2%-3%. Therefore, many measures have been put in place to curtail the movement of people with the aim of slowing and containing the pandemic. Some of these measures include travel restrictions; screening measures including at airports; quarantine implementation; use of mandatory Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and screening at airports. This has enable management to reduce spread of virus as well as tracking/surveillance of transmission pathways which may be followed. The restrictions have been implemented at both local i.e. cross-county as well as cross-border i.e. regional and international level.