Fears that new, more infectious variants of the coronavirus could be spreading in Kenya have put government officials on edge.

In a memo seen by the Nation, the Ministry of Health ordered county governments and port services to improve laboratories for specimen collection, shipment and timely confirmation, indicating heightened concerns despite flattening of the Covid-19 infection curve in recent months.

“Reactivate rapid response teams and facilitate them to respond timely to alerts,” says Acting Health Director-General Patrick Amoth, in the memo sent out earlier in the week.

It adds that in the event that the new variants are detected, devolved governments should be in a position to handle them.

“Through national public health laboratories, we will collaborate with testing labs to track emerging variants through genomic surveillance,” Dr Amoth adds in the memo.

Inspector-General of Police Hillary Mutyambai has, on the other hand, warned Kenyans of stern action if caught flouting Covid-19 protocols.

The warning comes at a time many citizens are disregarding the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health to stop the spread of the deadly illness.

The police boss in a statement this week said security agents have taken note of increased incidences of unauthorised public gatherings and violation of social distancing rules, curfew, flouting of restrictions in public service vehicles and failing to wear face masks.

The statement added that conveners of rallies must be cleared by police, while bars and restaurants have to comply with the Covid-19 regulations.

During the briefing yesterday, Dr Amoth said three cases of the 501Y.V2 Covid-19 variant have been recorded in the country.

The first two were identified in two tourists, he said.

“The two men have since gone back to their country. At the point of picking them, they were asymptomatic,” Dr Amoth said.

Contact-tracing indicated that there was no community transmission of the new strain, the ministry added.

“The second incident was at the Tanzanian border. We did not allow the person into the country,” Dr Amoth said.

On January 28, the World Health Organization reported that Kenya is one of the African countries after Botswana, Ghana, Comoros, and Zambia where the South African virus variant had been found.

The variant has also been recorded in 24 countries outside the continent.