The Kwale Governor, Salim Mvurya on Monday held a meeting with the county emergency response team on Covid-19 discussing various ways on how residents will remain focused during this period of fighting the pandemic.
Speaking outside his office in Kwale town he announced the opening of restaurants and each restaurant will have all its employees tested.
The governor said the testing will be done again after every 21 days and public health team will also give operational regulations as well as do constant monitoring.
Mvurya said that the county on Sunday recorded one positive coronavirus case whereby the patient is already quarantined at the Msambweni dedicated covid-19 unit.
He said the process of tracing his contacts is ongoing and 36 people have already been identified and put on self-quarantine, while receiving food aid from the county government.
On the other hand, Mvurya has said that security surveillance at the Lunga Lunga border with Tanzania has been enhanced and no one will be allowed into the country.
“All the 11 truck drivers who tested positive for corona virus on Sunday were citizens of Tanzania and were not allowed in the country,” said Mvurya.
He went on, “We also had another positive case at Kombani, a person who had taken the test in Mombasa but managed to cross over. He’s currently under quarantine at our covid-19 unit in Msambweni. The primary contacts have also been placed on quarantine.”
Mvurya also said that the covid-19 response team recommended that all food restaurants will be opened in the county after operators have been tested for coronavirus and licensed by the department of public health.
Mvurya who co-chairs the county covid-19 emergency response with the County Commissioner (CC), Karuku Ngumo said the county government will test five of the restaurant staff for free, while the exceeding number will be charged Sh.500 per attendant.
He said all operations in the food restaurants to observe rules set by authorities such as wearing of facemasks, social distance, availing hand sanitizers failure to which will lead to closure.
At the same time, Mvurya has expressed his happiness after the previous positive coronavirus patient at Msambweni Referral Hospital recovered and was allowed to go home.
Mvurya also urged residents to continue adhering to the public health regulations set by both the county and national government during this period of fighting the pandemic.
“I urge all of us to treat the health regulations and restrictions in place with deserved seriousness and most importantly avoid unnecessary movement that makes you prone to coronavirus infection,” he said.
By Hussein Abdullahi
