This archive report was first published on 20 April 2020.
On April 20, 2020, Machakos County Government unveiled a Covid-19 mass testing and isolation facility at the Kenyatta Stadium, which will accommodate up to 400 patients.
According to Governor Alfred Mutua, the decision to establish the facility was informed by the need to free Machakos Level 5 Hospital from being a treatment and isolation centre for the deadly disease.
Speaking during the commissioning of the facility, Mutua emphasized that the proximity of the new facility to the main hospital will enable doctors and other healthcare workers to administer required medications within minutes if needed.
The stadium will house temporary mass screening and treatment areas, where those found positive will be isolated and treated for mild and non-critical conditions.
As part of the county's efforts to combat the spread of Covid-19, Mutua announced plans to set up additional facilities to achieve a 1000-bed capacity in the next month.
He also revealed that the county government was in the process of procuring additional 10 ventilators to supplement the existing number of ventilators for critical care of Covid-19 patients.
With one confirmed positive local case of Covid-19 in Machakos County, 120 people are currently in quarantine, while at least 1,056 suspected cases have tested negative for the disease.
