US Embassy cancels appointments as Kenya reports first coronavirus

The United States Embassy in Nairobi has canceled consular appointments after Kenya reported its first positive case of coronavirus, according to a news report by Standard Digital.

"The Kenyan Ministry of Health has suspended all public gatherings, meetings, and events. All routine consular appointments at the U.S. Embassy from March 16 to March 27 are canceled," the Embassy said in a statement.

The Embassy also said that in case if any U.S. citizen needs any emergency assistance they can contact the U.S. Embassy using the contact information on its website before making a visit to their offices.

The embassy further added that U.S. government personnel are advised to limit non-essential travel.

Kenya's Minister of Health Mutahi Kagwe on Friday confirmed the first case of the new coronavirus in the country. The patient, who was diagnosed on the night of March 12, had traveled back to Kenya from the United States via London, Kagwe told a news conference.

Kenya has implemented screening of travelers at all points of entry, including airports, ground crossings, and seaports. Screenings include temperature measurement, visual assessment, and in some cases required completion of a traveler health declaration form listing recent travel to China and current symptoms of illness.

Visa services of the U.S. embassy were disrupted earlier in the month as well due to power surge and outage but now it has resumed all the visa, passport, and other services for American citizens from March 5.