Nyong'o issues strict Covid measures following spike in cases

 

The Kisumu county Covid-19 response committee has directed strict adherence to safety measures to contain the spread of the virus.

On Thursday, Governor Anyang' Nyong’o, who co-chairs the team with county commissioner Josephine Ouko, said the health directives must be followed religiously. He cited a spike in numbers in the past two weeks.

“This is an indication that the disease is silently but steadily spreading in our communities. Kisumu was not yet out of the woods,” he said.

“We have observed that the disease continues to afflict our people with numbers rising significantly across the country.”

The latest statistics from the Ministry of Health show that to date, 495 Covid-19 cases have been confirmed across the county.

“We have so far recorded eight deaths,” Nyong’o said.

Of the total cases, 431, or 87.1 per cent are from community transmissions.

“We have also had cases from Kodiaga Maximum Security Prison. We have 58 cases in isolation centres, 41 of which are in our state prison isolation units,” Nyong’o said.

Some 114 cases are currently under home-based care, while 292 cases have been discharged after recoveries.

Nyong’o and Ouko said the national and county government officials are under firm instructions to ensure safety guidelines are followed to sustain the fight against the disease.

They directed that the bodies removed from mortuaries be buried within 48 hours and only a maximum of 200 people are allowed to attend funeral services.

“Mortuaries are not allowed to store bodies brought from outside for more than 48 hours. Bodies in transit from elsewhere must not stop over in Kisumu town,” Nyong’o said.

They said feasting at funerals remain banned, with county and national government officers directed to ensure compliance. Disco matanga also remain banned and gatherings in towns and villages must be held in strict accordance with the guidelines.

“Wearing of masks in public offices and gatherings remain mandatory,” the county chief said.

Traffic Police officers were directed to ensure social distancing, sanitising, and the masking in public service vehicles remain in force.

“We remain prepared to combat the disease, with 401 isolation beds and other rafts of measures in place, but the fight now weighs heavily on you and me,” the governor said.

He reminded locals that the disease is still with them and they must not relax in keeping it at bay. “Let us not lower the masks. Let's continue sanitising and keeping social distance because it is a matter of life and death,”

Ouko asked residents to strictly adhere to health directives to combat the disease. She said bars and restaurants must close businesses by 10pm. The commissioner warned that those who disobey the directive will be dealt with accordingly.

Se said stringent measures are in place to control the virus from spreading among the inmates at Kodiaga.

“As we were waiting for the results, we realised that it was the time the transmission took place in the cells. The results take about a day,” Ouko said.

She said all the inmates taken to Kodiaga are first taken to the isolation ward before being moved to respective areas where they are locked up.

“As it is now, we are in control. There were about 49 confirmed cases but this has now gone done,” she said.