The Elgeyo Marakwet emergency response committee has raised concern over an increasing number of people sneaking into the county from the locked counties thus risking the lives of the area residents.
The CEC in charge of Health, Kiprono Chepkok noted some are coming for burials of their loved ones while others are officers offering essential services such as security officers who are on off duty.
He expressed concern that while the county gave firm instructions that bodies should be buried within 24 hours, people are flouting these instructions and instead keeping bodies for up to 3-4 days ostensibly to raise funds for burial.
“This gives room for relatives outside the county to travel for burial. We know it’s painful for a loved one to be buried in your absence but we are appealing to our people to let those at home undertake the exercise,” he pleaded.
Speaking when he received donations to contain the spread of the coronavirus from World Vision, the CEC said anyone travelling to the county without a permit will be quarantined for 14 days and later prosecuted for flouting the public health act.
He added that while the government will continue catering for those being quarantined in their facilities, it will not cater for those who are breaking the law. “Those will have to meet their expenses at the quarantine facility,” he warned.
Chepkok said on Monday, a man travelled in a lorry all the way from Mombasa and though he is negative, he would be quarantined and later taken to court while a police officer travelled from Nairobi while off duty.
He added that they were tracing a person who travelled to Arror and has gone missing. “We are appealing to him to come out and be tested so that if he turns positive he can be treated,” the CEC said.
He continued that they were currently following a case where a group of mourners had travelled from Nairobi, saying if they were found to have no permit they will be quarantined.
Chepkok added that health facilities were offering normal services and called on residents suffering from other ailments besides covid-19 children to continue seeking those services.
By Alice Wanjiru
