This archive report was first published on 23 June 2020.
Published on June 23, 2020, the Nation reported that at least five urban centres along the Northern Corridor could be Nakuru County's Covid-19 hotspots if the mingling of locals with long distance truck drivers remains unchecked.
The places which serve as stopovers for truck drivers include Mai Mahiu, Naivasha, Gilgil, Kikopey, and Salgaa.
Independent investigations by the Nation have revealed that people in the areas continue operating in total disregard of the Ministry of Health's Covid-19 guidelines.
Despite the most recent Covid-19 positive cases being traced to the areas, little has been done to contain a possible rapid spread of the disease at the stopovers, most falling along the busy Nairobi-Nakuru-Eldoret highway.
The highway is part of the Northern Corridor and is the most important road to Western Kenya and the artery that connects Kenya and the landlocked countries of Uganda, Southern Sudan, Rwanda, and Burundi.
According to the Nakuru health authorities, truck drivers pose a major threat to the war against the virus.
"At the county government level, we have done our part including providing health workers to the mobile testing laboratory in Maai Mahiu. I call upon the national government to support us with enough testing kits and any other support to deal with this virus," said County Health Executive Gichuki Kariuki.
Already, Nakuru County health authorities have rolled out targeted Covid-19 mass testing of high-risk groups of people in the region in a bid to tame the spread of the virus.
As of Sunday, more than 400 truck drivers had been tested for Covid-19 at the Maai Mahiu Health Centre.
The county has also tested 224 health workers and at least 1,500 food handlers and staff from the hospitality industry.
