This archive report was first published on 26 June 2020.
Kenya's COVID-19 containment efforts are underway, with the Council of Governors (CoG) reporting progress on preparedness measures. As of June 25, 12 counties have met the target of setting up 300 isolation beds per county, a directive issued to facilitate the easing of containment directives on July 6.
CoG Chairperson Wycliffe Oparanya presented a progress report to President Uhuru Kenyatta, highlighting the preparedness of counties to combat the pandemic. According to Oparanya, 36 counties have a cumulative total of 343 ICU beds, while 28 counties have a total of 337 ventilators.
Notably, counties have attained a total of 6,898 isolation beds, falling short of the national target of 30,500 units. Furthermore, a total of 16,914 health personnel have been trained on COVID-19 management, including 59,449 community health volunteers.
President Kenyatta's directive allowing counties to procure non-pharmaceuticals from other agencies has enhanced response measures, according to Oparanya. The CoG is working with the Ministry of Health to develop a guideline on home-based COVID-19 management at the devolved units.
As the country prepares to reopen its economy, Oparanya emphasized the need for strict COVID-19 containment protocols in businesses, places of worship, and inter-county travel. A multi-agency approach is proposed to improve testing capacity, contact tracing, and enforcing social distancing mechanisms.
