This archive report was first published on 23 May 2020.
On May 23, 2020, Siaya Governor Cornel Rasanga took drastic measures to contain the spread of Covid-19 in the county by banning the transport of bodies of victims from outside the county for burial.
According to the governor, the only way to prevent the spread of the virus was to bury the dead where they succumbed. He directed his officers to ensure that everyone visiting the county is screened before being allowed to pass its borders.
Following an incident where 15 mourners were allowed to bury a Covid-19 victim in Ugenya, Siaya, despite the ceremony being held under tight security, Governor Rasanga sought the arrest of the assistant chief who issued the permit.
"I spoke with Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe about the assistant chief. He must be held accountable together with the police officers manning roadblocks from Nairobi to Siaya on the day these people travelled," said Rasanga.
Out of the 15 mourners, the county can only account for 12, who are currently being held in isolation and quarantine. Seven of the 12 mourners tested positive for Covid-19, while five are in quarantine at KMTC in Siaya, awaiting repeat tests.
The governor also confirmed that the isolation unit in Bondo Sub-county hospital was ready with a bed capacity of 16, and that health workers handling Covid-19 patients worked in shifts and were not allowed to return home but stay at a hotel and after 14 days are tested for the virus.
"We learnt from the first case in Bondo. Health personnel work in shifts of four hours and do not go home to their families... That hotel does not host anyone else apart from them, and after 14 days they are tested before they join their families" he said.
