This archive report was first published on 8 June 2020.
Nakuru County to Boost Covid-19 Testing Capacity ¶
On June 8, 2020, Nakuru County announced plans to set up a modern laboratory to enhance Covid-19 testing capacity and reduce the time it takes for test results to be available.
The new laboratory, which will be designed to meet World Health Organization (WHO) standards, will help reduce the burden on national testing labs, which have been overwhelmed by the upscaling of tests across the country.
According to Dr. Jacob Rotich, the County Epidemiologist, the laboratory will enable the county to process tests more efficiently, reducing the time it takes for results to be available from up to five days to a shorter period.
Dr. Rotich noted that the county has been sending medical samples of suspected Covid-19 cases to Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) laboratories in Nairobi for analysis, but the new laboratory will enable the county to process tests locally.
The county has already rolled out free Covid-19 testing for workers in the tourism and hospitality industry, and Dr. Rotich urged hotel owners to bring forth all their employees for testing to curb the spread of the virus.
So far, 296 truck drivers have tested for Covid-19 at Mai Mahiu Health Centre, and over 1,500 food handlers have been tested, with one case turning positive for the virus.
Dr. Rotich called on County residents to embrace mass testing, which is the only way of identifying infected persons with a view of tracing contacts for containment and treatment.
He assured that the government shall meet the cost of treatment and quarantine for those affected and that people should not be afraid to come out for testing.
Dr. Rotich also urged those turning up for the tests to give accurate contact information for easier tracking and follow-ups, warning that failure to do so would undermine the fight against the spread of the virus.
