One of the Catholic priests who visited Siaya County over the weekend has tested positive for coronavirus.

The priest who hails from Ugunja Nyasanda area is said to have come from Rome to attend the burial of a close relative at Ambira area.

Confirming the incident Siaya county commissioner Michael Ole Tialal has said already health officers are in the area to contain the situation.

Tialal said the priest was among the additional eight people who tested positive for coronavirus on Sunday.

The administrator said the priest attended a funeral in Ambira after interacting with his family in Nyasanda before proceeding to Sega to visit a friend who is also a priest.

"There are rumours that the priest might have visited Rarieda at Lwak mission before proceeding to Nairobi but that has not been ascertained," Tialal said.

The commissioner said already health officers are in the area and advising all those who interacted with the priest to isolate themselves.

"The health officers have been sent to all those areas where it's believed that the priest visited to curb a further spread," the commissioner said.

Tialal added that at the moment the information is still scanty as they are not getting it from the priest himself and the number of people who might be put in self quarantine is not clear.

"We are going to get more information immediately we get in touch with the family members on where else the priest visited during his visit to Siaya but at the moment we have only identified Ugunja and Sega," he added.

The Star/ Lameck Baraza