Coronavirus:Shopping rush as hand sanitizers becomes the first casualty

March 14, 2020 Majira Media

Hand sanitizers became the first casualty of the confirmation of a first coronavirus case in Kenya as panicky Kenyans moved swiftly to stock up.

An hour after Health CS Mutahi Kagwe announced the confirmed case of Coronavirus in Kenya, major supermarkets across the country were experiencing an acute shortage of hand sanitizers as Kenyans rushed to purchase the commodity.

Supermarkets in major town are experiencing an acute shortage of the commodities as Kenyans rush to stock food supplies in case of movement restriction. Even as Health CS announced no need for Kenyans to panic, a spot check in major supermarkets in Naivas, Tuskys and other supermarket revealed that almost all clients who flocked in were looking for the hand sanitizers.

Speaking to one attendant at Naivas, he revealed that they had gone out stock and they were getting a challenge to restock from the supplier. He revealed that the supplier sites the high demand as the contributing factor.

The situation was similar at Tuskys supermarket. Speaking to one attendant, she narrated how clients rushed for the hand sanitizers as others filled their trolleys with house supplies.

“When we opened what everyone was buying was hand sanitizers, customers were not picking just one or two but a whole bunch of them. One customer just stretched his hand inside the shelf and just pushed all the hand sanitizers into his cart and said he will count them at the counter,” said Jane Maina, an attendant.

A spot check at other supermarkets revealed the situation was the same. Clients we spoke to sited fears of supermarkets hiking the prices in the coming days hence the need to stoke earlier. Others also foresee a possibility of towns being on a lockdown should the virus spread.

Health CS Kagwe on March 13 confirmed the first Coronavirus case in the country. The patient was a 27 year old lady who jetted in on 5^th March from US. She is said to have traveled to her rural home in Kitale western Kenya before traveling back to Nairobi on 9^th.

Upon feeling unwell she took herself to Kenyatta National Hospital were the tests done on her confirmed she had contracted the deadly virus.

The CS announced she has been quarantined and the Rapid Response unit send on the ground to identify those she came in contact with.

7 people have so far been identified and taken into quarantine at Mbagathi health facility for testing.