Attendees of Madaraka Day fete urged to get tested, self-isolate
Deputy President William Ruto waves at a crowd in Kondele along Kisumu-Kakamega highway on his way from Jomo Kenyatta international Stadium in Kisumu County, where Madaraka Day celebrations took place on June 1, 2021.
What you need to know:
- Last week on Sunday, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital was full with 92 patients and private hospitals were also overwhelmed, forcing medics in the county to hold a crisis meeting.
Nyeri Deputy Governor Caroline Karugu has gone on quarantine and asked all leaders who were present during Madaraka Day celebrations in Kisumu County to self-isolate as Covid-19 cases in the region rise.
Ms Karugu Friday said she was taking the action because she works with sickly and vulnerable groups,.
“With Kisumu recording the highest number of Covid-19 cases, and at a positivity rate of 11 per cent, those of us who visited ought to go into self-quarantine and get tested,” she said, “ I think it is the right and responsible thing to do.”
Some of the individuals who attended the event, including journalists, have since gone into isolation, awaiting their Covid-19 results.
Many hospitals in the Nyanza region are full with Covid-19 patients and others in isolation, with experts warning that if the measures are not strictly adhered to, then the region could become the next epicentre of the disease in the country
While infections have generally been high in Nairobi and the neighboring counties of Kiambu, Nakuru, Machakos and Kajiado, there is a significant change with the rural counties as they record an increase in positivity rates.
The numbers are growing even as counties test fewer samples because of the shortage of testing kits.
Highest number
On Thursday, Kisumu County recorded the highest number of infections in the country at 145 cases, accounting for a third of all infections. The county recorded a 33 per cent increase in daily cases.
This, experts said, is cause for concern since the county has 28 people confirmed to be infected with the Indian variant of the virus. It is not yet clear exactly what is causing this surge in infections and the extent of community transmission.
Infection numbers are increasing barely a week after Kisumu hosted the 58th Madaraka Day celebrations that saw thousands of people gather around the Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium to catch a glimpse of the celebration, many of them not adhering to public health directives. Most of the residents around the venue had no masks and did not observe social distancing.
Prof Matilu Mwau, an infectious diseases expert and a deputy director at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri), noted: “We cannot say that we are recording the cases because of the event held a few days ago. What we are currently seeing is because the virus is in the community, and if indeed the event will contribute to new infections, then the numbers could be worse in the coming few weeks.”
He warned that this is not the time for the residents to drop their guard.
Last week on Sunday, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital was full with 92 patients and private hospitals were also overwhelmed, forcing medics in the county to hold a crisis meeting.
Overrun health facilities
Prof Khama Rogo, the chairman of the eminent persons committee on Covid-19 in the Lake Region Economic Bloc (LREB), in May warned that if nothing is done to reverse the trend, the region and the rest of the country would face a surge in infections that would overrun health facilities.
“This is extremely worrying, Every surge in infections since the pandemic started has been worse than the previous, but this new wave appears to be running out of control,” said Prof Rogo.
This is happening as Kisumu’s neighbouring county, Homa Bay, has been hit by oxygen shortage amidst the surge in the number of cases in the county.
The county has since sought help from Nyamira and Kisumu counties to assist with the refilled oxygen gas cylinders as the demand of the precious commodity increases following a surge in the number of cases reported in the region in the last few weeks.
As of Friday, the number of patients admitted in the High Dependency Unit had increased to 32, a worrying scenario without oxygen in the facility.
Dr Peter Ogolla, Homa Bay Referral hospital CEO said that the county is already on the red alert since the hospital is full with no space.
“What is being strained the most is oxygen supply. We are in short supply, if the numbers increase we will be in crisis since we are already overwhelmed. Already, eight of our patients are in high flow of pure oxygen. The demand is high,” he said
