County to stop entry point screening for COVID-19 as disease reaches Maralal town

The Samburu County Government will discontinue entry point screening for COVID-19 from September 1, 2020.
This is after the County reported six new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of the pandemic infections to 46.
The County’s Health CEC, Stephen Lekupe, said that there is no need of entry point screening anymore at Suguta Marmar, Archers post, South Horr and Baragoi since the disease is now within the County while infections are increasing day by day.
“Out of the positive cases,16 females and 29 males and 43 out 46 cases are from Samburu central in Maralal town. Therefore, it is very clear that the disease is spreading very fast in Samburu central, particularly Maralal town,” he said.
He noted that the youngest patient is 20 years old while the oldest is 72 years, adding that there has been 11 recoveries so far.
Lekupe further said that 95 per cent of the reported cases are placed on home based care with a health officer being assigned to be attending to two patients.
“All apart from two are asymptomatic and those who have violated home-based care protocols have been brought under forced isolation in our facilities,” he said.
The CEC said that health accommodation has been procured for health workers who are attending to COVID-19 patients in the County.
“and as we speak those who are treating covid-19 positive cases retreat to a self-contained hotel within the town so that they don’t take the risk of the disease back to their families,” he said.
A total of 1500 samples have been collected from the County and sent to the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) laboratory in Nairobi for testing since March, 2020.
By Robert Githu