This archive report was first published on 25 June 2020.
On June 25, 2020, President Uhuru Kenyatta held a virtual meeting with the National and County Governments Coordinating Summit at State House, Nairobi. PSCU PHOTO |
President Uhuru Kenyatta during a virtual extra-ordinary meeting of the National and County Governments Coordinating Summit at State House, Nairobi, June 25, 2020.
Kenya's Ministry of Health has advised President Uhuru Kenyatta not to reopen the economy, citing lack of preparedness in counties to respond to new Covid-19 infections. The current containment measures are set to lapse on July 6.
According to the Ministry of Health, a majority of the counties lag in required controls, putting the country at risk of an upsurge of new Covid-19 infections. Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe emphasized the need for counties to meet the necessary thresholds before the nation can reopen.
President Kenyatta ruled out automatic reopening of the country's economy, stating that "County readiness to respond to new imported cases of infection will largely determine our national readiness to re-open the country as a whole." He added that "If the counties have met the necessary thresholds, then the nation will be ready to re-open."
Kenya reported 178 new cases on Thursday, representing 4.5 percent of the 3,918 tested. The total Covid-19 caseload now stands at 5,384. The Ministry of Health launched a teleconference centre for health workers at the Kenyatta National Hospital.
President Kenyatta had earlier extended the countrywide curfew starting at 9pm as well as the cessation of movement in Nairobi, counties of Kilifi, Kwale, Mombasa and Mandera to July 6. The devolved units were required to roll out minimum Covid-19 response measures before re-opening after one month.
According to the Council of Governors chairperson Wycliffe Oparanya, counties have only attained a total of 6,898 isolation beds against the national target of 30,500. Only 12 counties had met the 300 per county isolation beds threshold while 34 others were on course to meet the target within the month.
On talent, the counties reported that a total of 16,914 health personnel had been trained in Covid-19 management, among them 59,449 community health volunteers. Health Chief Administrative Secretary Mercy Mwangangi said the call centre will ensure health workers get psycho-social support, one of the key demands by the Covid-19 frontline workers.
