This archive report was first published on 15 July 2020.
Governors Threaten Lockdown Over Covid-19 Spike ¶
As Covid-19 cases continue to rise, governors have threatened to lock down counties that fail to contain the spread of the virus. The Council of Governors expressed disappointment in Kenyans' casual attitude towards the pandemic.
According to a statement seen by Kenyans.co.ke on July 15, 2020, the Council of Governors warned that individual county governments would have no choice but to lock down affected counties in consultation with President Uhuru Kenyatta to contain the rapid spread and protect lives.
President Kenyatta had previously stated on July 6 that in the next 21 days, the government would study patterns of interactions and the spread of the disease. If trends signal a worsening of the pandemic, the government would have no choice but to return to the lockdown at zero-option.
The 47 county governments have taken measures to protect Kenyans from the adverse effects of the virus. They have set aside 271 isolation health facilities with a total of 12,034 beds, 447 ICU beds, and 437 ventilators. The council also called on the government to improve testing capacity within county clusters to ensure shorter turnaround times for results.
County governments have set up infection prevention committees to ensure compliance with safety protocols issued by the Ministry of Health. A total of 23,280 healthcare workers have been trained, and 68,213 community health volunteers are ready for deployment.
