This archive report was first published on 1 July 2020.
On June 30, 2020, the Makueni County Government announced plans to conduct targeted mass testing of COVID-19 in seven towns along the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway.
The decision came after nine new coronavirus cases were reported on Sunday in Kibwezi and Makindu towns along the highway.
The targeted testing will be done in Malili, Salama, Sultan Hamud, Emali, Makindu, Kambu, and Mtito Andei towns in the next one week to determine the spread of the disease.
According to Andrew Mulwa, the County Executive Committee Member for Health, the nine cases recorded on Sunday during a routine testing of hotel staff in Kibwezi East Sub County was a clear indication that the disease had reached community transmission.
“Nine samples tested positive out of 26. The disease is here with us and the targeted mass testing will be done to establish the extent of transmission,” Mulwa said during a press briefing on COVID-19 at the County Commissioner’s office.
Maalim Mohammed, the County Commissioner, called for collaboration from stakeholders to stem the disease following the increased cases in the county.
“The nine cases reported out of 26 samples depicts a grim picture of the extent of transmission and we need a multi-agency approach to stop the spread,” Mohammed said.
The county had set aside 300 beds for COVID-19 patients across the county but plans were underway to increase the bed capacity.
Maalim noted that the county had adopted a raft of measures, including training of 50,000 community health volunteers and local leaders to help sensitize residents on the fight against the pandemic.
“We have also enhanced cross-border surveillance by setting up roadblocks at Mtito Andei and Kibwezi towns where close to 100,000 travellers had had their temperatures checked,” Mohammed said.
Maalim warned residents against flouting the directives set by the government in the fight against the pandemic, saying those caught would be held accountable.
On his part, Governor Kivutha Kibwana said his government would adopt home-based care in case of exponential growth of COVID-19 cases to prevent the health facilities from being overwhelmed.
“Home-based care is working especially in Western countries and we believe it can also work here,” Kibwana said.
Kivutha decried the increasing number of teenage pregnancies and domestic violence cases reported during the pandemic and urged residents to desist from such behavior.
“Children are spending more time at home due to the pandemic and they should be protected,” Kibwana said.
