RESIDENTS URGED TO OBSERVE HIGH SAFETY STANDARDS AS KAKAMEGA RECORDS COVID-19 CASES.

As the nation comes to terms with how fast and furious the COVID-19 virus is quickly spreading to the remote areas of the country, several counties are yet to record a single local case among their populace, according to the statistics by the National Government’s ministry of health.

Kakamega county is among those few counties that have not recorded a single homegrown case of the dreaded disease. But with the realization that the virus might have been recently ‘imported’ to the county, Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Ambetsa Oparanya is now calling on residents to be vigilant and exercise high safety measures to prevent them from contracting the virus.

“From the national tally announced last week by the ministry of health in Nairobi, three people have been traced to Kakamega County; the three are now in our COVID-19 facility,” Governor Oparanya announced this during his weekly address to the media at the County headquarters, Wednesday afternoon.

The patients’ contacts have been traced and are under quarantine.

He said the county has converted the newly constructed Mumias Level lV hospital to a full COVID-19 facility to handle only the virus related cases. In addition to the facility, he added, a section of the upcoming Kakamega County Referral & Teaching Hospital and the Likuyani Level lV hospital will also admit any suspected and/or confirmed cases of the COVID-19 disease within the county.

The governor observed that counties were working towards achieving the 300 bed capacity requirement while others had already acquired the required minimum number.

“I also urge counties to continue enforcing community surveillance measures to curb the spread of the virus,” he said.

Also present during the briefing were deputy governor H.E. Prof. Philip Museve Kutima and several senior government officers.