Panic as 17 Covid-19 cases reported at two Bungoma schools
Friends School Kamusinga in Bungoma County.
Two schools in Bungoma County, Friends School Kamusinga and Kimilili Boys’ High School, have reported Covid-19 outbreaks involving 17 cases among students.
A total of 11 students from Kamusinga returned positive results and another 6 cases were confirmed at Kimilili.
The students were isolated on Thursday morning in Webuye.
A teacher at Kamusinga who didn't want to be named said there is high tension in the school because of fears that more students and teachers could have contracted the virus.
"Many parents have been calling while others have been here to check on their children; we are doing our best to ensure students don't flout ministry of health directives on social distancing, sanitising, wearing masks and washing hands regularly,'' the teacher told the Nation on the phone.
The teacher said the school might close for two weeks for fumigation to take place.
Webuye county hospital medical superintendent Dr Simon Kisaka said that a total of 28 patients are now at the facility.
Officials said the students are isolated at Webuye County Hospital.
Schools 'not ready'
He said that the spike in the cases is a clear indication that most schools are not ready to adhere to the ministry of health directives in fighting the virus.
"At this rate, the government might be forced to close schools for the safety of learners and teachers," he said.
It is feared that two senior Bungoma County Referral Hospital doctors and four nurses working at the maternity wing have tested positive for Covid-19 and are receiving treatment at home.
Bungoma county health chief officer Patrick Wandili confirmed this, saying that the medics are out of danger.
Wandili urged medics to be extra cautious while on duty as they are in the front line in the war against the pandemic.
The county referral hospital has 10 ICU beds.
Bungoma county has witnessed a spike in cases of the virus that have rocked the executive and the Assembly, forcing operations to be suspended.
The Covid-19 isolation centre in Bungoma County.
Wandili asked residents to adhere to ministry of health directives of staying at home, sanitising and washing their hands regularly.
Despite the upsurge in Covid-19 cases in Bungoma, the county has not witnessed any crisis regarding ICU beds.
The county plans to have tests conducted at the Bungoma County Referral Hospital to ease the strain of waiting for the results from Kemri in Kisumu.
Bungoma County has witnessed several deaths resulting from Covid-19.
