Panic spread to over 500 workers of Karimenu dam project in Kiambu on Sunday morning after three Chinese nationals feared to have contracted a deadly disease arrived at the construction site.

The three are reported to have been picked at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and were to report to work at the site this week.

Workers at the site who spoke to People Daily on anonymity narrated how the three visitors were immediately isolated in a room on Sunday midday.

“The incident happened at around 1 pm and we all thought it was a fire outbreak. Work was temporarily stopped including the closure of the nearby eating joints. The issue took us by surprise(sic),” narrated one worker.

The site where the three Chinese nationals were confined was immediately concealed with red tape and restricted from visits. The Chinese nationals were later taken to the hospital.

An outbreak of Coronavirus in the Wuhan region of China has caused widespread panic especially to domestic and local movements from and within China. The Kiambu case has however not been confirmed to be Coronavirus

Following the incident, Kiambu County health officers conducted a sensitisation to the workers yesterday afternoon.

The health officers trained the workers on protection mechanisms as doctors from Igegania Level 4 hospital took them through signs and symptoms of the deadly virus.

Kiambu County CEC in charge of Health Mary Kamau in a text message confirmed that her officers were indeed on the ground for normal sensitization.