US marines donate 200,000 washable masks to Lamu residents

 

The war on Covid-19 in Lamu got a massive boost after US marines based at Manda Naval Base donated 200,000 free washable face masks to the residents.

The marines are based at the Camp Simba which is housed within Manda Naval Base in Lamu West.

The Civil Military Support Element team commander Shelton Thelismon who spoke to journalists on behalf of US military at Mokowe dispensary said all the washable facemasks were made in Kenya.

The donation is a US military gesture of continued partnership between the two countries in addressing the Covid-19 pandemic through effective responses, he said.

The masks will be distributed to all health facilities across the region to help combat coronavirus.

Thelismon said the masks arrived late owing to logistical challenges in procurement of the re-usable kind but added that the masks would be useful to the residents.

"We saw the need to donate the washable face masks to help prevent further spread of Covid-19 in Lamu," Thelismon said.

Lamu county commissioner Irungu Macharia appreciated the donation and urged members of the public to continue observing all Covid-19 protocols.

He said Lamu’s response in tackling the global pandemic has been fruitful, with the county having registered only 125 cases and four deaths.

"As we receive the face masks donation, I urge members of the public to continue wearing masks despite the country slowly reopening with a decline in the number of infected cases countrywide," Macharia said.