Kitui County Health Committee has embarked on radical measures to tackle the highly contagious coronavirus in the event of an outbreak
The assembly has directed the County Health Executive to build staff capacity, set up suitable infrastructure including emergency funds and procure sufficient pharmaceuticals and non-pharmaceuticals as precautionary measures to combat Coronavirus.
Speaking during the Coronavirus debate at the floor of the House, Thursday, Health Committee Chairman, Philip Nguli, Member of the County Assembly (MCA Migwani), assured the House that currently, Coronavirus has not been reported in Kitui County.
“On the Covid-19 fact-finding mission, I wish to tell members and the residents of Kitui County that as at now, there is no known Covid-19 infection in the County,” said Nguli.
Temporary Speaker, Mary Ndumbu ,who presided over the afternoon session directed the Committee on Health and Sanitation to act swiftly and report back to the House within the shortest time possible.
Alex Nganga (MCA Miambani), emphasized that, “awareness should also be carried out in our schools so that we are assured that our children are also safe.”
On February 17, panic gripped Kitui residents following speculations that a Chinese national had been put into isolation after developing coronavirus-like symptoms but authorities later declared it a false alarm.
The World Health Organization (WHO) urged governments around the world to make every effort to impress in the fight against the increasingly pervasive and deadly outbreak of the new pandemic, coronavirus.
“This is not a drill. This is not the time to give up. This is not a time for excuses. This is a time for pulling out all the stops,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, Thursday, in a statement.
So far WHO has confirmed that more than 95,000 people in 86 countries have been infected with the virus and whereas about 3,200 people have died.
By Yobesh Onwong’a
