Mandera County has for the first time received a testing Lab, giving the residents relieve as samples used to take days for testing in Nairobi.
Governor Ali Roba on Monday launched the lab at the Mandera County Referral Hospital saying it would not only test COVID-19 but also other viruses.
The county had been relying on transporting samples to Nairobi for testing since April 5 when the first case was reported in Kenya.
“Despite all these challenges, we tested 854 people up to August 2020. It is against this background, as well as the fact that COVID-19 is not about to go away any time soon, that we partnered with KEMRI to establish a molecular Laboratory that can test not only COVID-19 but also many other viruses,” Roba said.
He stated that the validation process will be conducted with the help of KEMRI which will then lead to the sharing of results through the National portal with the Ministry of Health headquarters in Nairobi.
Since September 26, Governor Roba said, a total of 90 samples have been tested for coronavirus at the Mandera Molecular Lab, with six turning positive and responding well to management and care.
