Governors threaten to impose lock down if Covid-19 infections keep rising

The Council of Governors (CoG) has threatened to lock down counties if the number of Covid-19 infections continue to rise.

The Council is of the view that counties should be equipped better for a possible resurgence of the virus that has now surpassed the 11,000 mark in the country.

RAPID SPREAD

“In the event that the situation gets dire, individual county governments will have no choice but in consultation with President Uhuru Kenyatta, seek to lock down the affected county to contain the rapid spread and protect lives,” CoG chairman Wycliffe Oparanya warned.

On July 6, while announcing the end of the cessation of movement in Nairobi Metropolitan Area, Mombasa and Mandera counties, President Uhuru Kenyatta warned that his government would impose a lock down if the pandemic worsens in the coming days.

“In the next 21 days, we shall study patterns of interactions and the spread of the disease. Any trends that signal a worsening of the pandemic, we will have no choice but to return to the lock down at zero-option,” President Kenyatta said.

RISING NUMBERS

Since the partial reopening of the economy, the number of deaths and infections have been on the rise.

At the same time, Governor Oparanya has urged the national government to work towards improving the testing capacity within the county clusters to ensure shorter turnaround time for results.

“The turnaround for results is being delayed from the initial 24 hours to seven days. This is not good enough in this war,” Oparanya said.

The COG also wants the resumption of ambulance service that supports the movement of Covid-19 patients which was previously withdrawn by the Ministry of Health.