Governor threatens to shut-down county over increased COVID-19 infections

Governor Cornel Rasanga has threatened to consult president Uhuru Kenyatta to impose lock down on Siaya County to tame the continuous  upsurge on the Covid 19 victims.

While briefing media at his Segere home on Thursday 22, April, Rasanga stated that statistics reveals that Siaya’s Covid 19 positive cases were on the rise adding that in every 10 people, three of them are positive.

Rasanga warned that unless residents change their attitude and embraces the health protocols meant to mitigate spread of the virus, he won’t hesitate to seek  for the president to put Siaya on lockdown.

The governor was unhappy with the Covid 19  trends in the region vowed to seek help from president.

“Let our people adhere to laid down health protocols while in funerals, work places, markets to enable us deal with the virus adding that those defying the rules infected others hence the upsurge,” said Rasanga.

“We have studied the patterns of interactions and the spread of the disease and it signals a worsening of the pandemic,” said Rasanga adding that if trend don’t reverse  will have no choice but to seek for the lock down,” the County boss said.

Going by the statistics, Siaya has sampled 12,859 people since the outbreak of the pandemic, cumulative positive are 829 and in third wave alone, the region recorded 307 positive cases.

It’s these reasons that has seen the County boss tightening  its coronavirus restriction Rasanga has lowered  the number of people allowed for gatherings in funerals or visiting the County from zones identified as hot spots.

Rasanga who is also the co- chair of County Covid 19 surveillance committee further warned that private mortuaries in his jurisdictions defying the 48 hours rule would have owners prosecuted and it’s licence revoked.

“The public morgue won’t receive any body from home while those who die in hospitals will only be kept at the morgue not more than48 hours,” he added.

The governor said he has consulted with County commissioner Michael Ole Tialal who has assured him that police will be deployed in markets and funerals to enforce COVID-19 protocols.

“The deceased yet to be brought home during the weekends must be hurried at 10 AM or else the chiefs and assistants manning those areas would be risking their jobs. There would be no feasting in the funerals. No catering would offer services in the funerals for they encourage gatherings.

A flurry of new restrictions this week has coincided with a surge in cases across the region as health experts led by County a ting  Health  Chief Officer Eunice Fwaya   fear that worse is ahead.