The Nandi County Covid -19 Response and emergence team has resolved to focus and heighten on the preventive and promotive procedures to curb the surge in Covid -19 cases in the county.
Addressing the press after a meeting with the members of the team Thursday, Governor Stephen Sang said the county is experiencing the second wave of Covid 19 and called upon the team to work round the clock to arrest the situation.
“The security apparatus and the response committee should work together to be able to sensitize and reinforce the locals on the Ministry of Health protocols since we have noted increased laxity,” said Sang.
The County boss added that going forward the team will ensure there is heightened supervision; more civic education and increased capacities to handle home based care cases.
He however noted a big challenge that has led to the spike in Covid 19 cases in the county to be funerals and social gatherings.
He called upon the residents to observe the laid down guidelines on the management of funerals and social gatherings to avert transmission of the virus.
On his part, County Commissioner Geoffrey Omoding who doubles as the Committee Co-Chair echoed the governor’s sentiments on the rising numbers and said his office has increased surveillance and crackdowns on persons flouting the MOH guidelines.
“In the past week alone we have nabbed over 300 persons who were breaking the guidelines set by the ministry of health of not wearing masks, overloading in PSVs among others,” said Omoding.
He stressed that those holding funerals should observe the set timelines of strictly two hours and urged the Chiefs and national Government administration officers to be on the look out to ensure the guidelines are adhered to.
The Commissioner pointed that since the remand cells are overloaded and said those culprits apprehended will serve their sentences through community service.
The Chair Lake Region Economic Bloc Prof. Khama Rogo who is tasked with advising the 14 governors under Lake Region Economic Bloc (LREB) on how to deal with the scourge said that the upsurge was high in the months of September and October.
He said that the patterns in the upsurge were grouped into three depending on the geographical location and urban status for the said counties.
In the border counties of Busia and Migori the pattern in the upsurge was different from the rest.
Counties with large urban areas including Kisumu, Kakamega, Kericho and Kisii there is rapid rise due to overcrowding brought by urbanization and the risk and spread of the disease is high and faster.
Prof. Rogo added that the Counties with the smaller urban areas like Nandi, Nyamira and Siaya have had slower transmission rates but this has started changing.
“The virus is already in the communities and no longer in the cities, therefore the interventions should be community based,” he stated.
He added that focus should be on prevention and individuals and communities at large should take responsibility and follow the Ministry of Health protocols including maintaining social distance, wearing masks, washing hands and avoiding gatherings.
Bishop Michael Chirchir, Chair Interfaith committee said there’s need to put more measures in the fight against Covid -19 in the County.
“I call upon all religious leaders to enforce the containment rules to their faithful in their places of worship during services,” said the Bishop.
Currently, the total number of health workers trained on case management, surveillance, contact tracing, sample collection and transport in the county are 1,260.
In addition the county has 130 isolation beds that are in use, 40 in Nandi Hills sub county hospital, 60 in Kabiyet Sub County hospital and 30 at the Mosoriot Sub county hospital.
For critical care, the county has seven ICU beds at Kapsabet County Referral Hospital and three in Nandi Hills Sub County Hospital, nine ventilators and seven nurses also trained on critical care.
The rest of the staff including medical officers, physiotherapists, nutritionists and psychosocial counselors are currently undergoing mentorship at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.
Moreover, a total of 35 staff consisting of medical officers, nurses, ambulance crew, psychosocial counsellors and support staff are conducting weekly rotations at the isolation centres.
Another 16 staff are carrying out follow ups for patients who are under home based care. They provide treatment, advice on preventive measures and give referrals to hospital care in case of worsening symptoms.
So far the County has conducted 5,492 tests, 262 are positive, 196 are under home based care, 53 recoveries under isolation and 77 under HBC, six deceased with the positivity rate standing at 4.9%.
By Bethsheba Abuya
