Coast region steps up fight on virus spread

It is no longer a matter of if but when the Coast region will emerge as an epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak should authorities fail to enforce strict measures to curb the pandemic.

Already, the government has named Kilifi, Kwale and Mombasa among high risk counties.

“The National Governments Administration Officers (Ngao) have been quietly preparing for stricter measures that will include tight control of movements within the coast region, as they try to implement strict adherence to counter the spread of the virus. This could include partial lockdowns of the region,” the Saturday Nation was told.

Tracking coronavirus

As a pre-emptive measure to the strict controls, Mombasa County government moved to set aside Sh700 million under the Emergency Household Relief and Nutrition Support Project to cushion 227,404 vulnerable households in case the country goes into lockdown.

“Due to the risk of this global pandemic, enhanced measures may have to be taken by the national government including a total lockdown to enforce enhanced social distancing,” Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho said, adding that this was necessitated by the need to support the population that depends on wages.

HOTSPOTS

This group is vulnerable and needs support for daily sustenance. “We have always felt that Nairobi, Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale have got extra exposure; we have taken measures to create extra capacity and response mechanisms in those counties,” Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said on Thursday.

The country’s 31 confirmed cases are spread out in five counties - Nairobi, Kajiado, Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale.

In the latest three new cases, two came from Kilifi. On Friday morning another case was recorded in a Mombasa hospital.

“All the three new confirmed cases are Kenyans, females aged between 30 and 61 years. The three cases are close contacts of previously confirmed cases. Two are from Kilifi and one from Nairobi,” Mr Kagwe said.

“As we speak, there is ongoing consultation on how our teams will handle Kilifi and other areas that are emerging as hotspots. I, therefore, urge people at the Coast, and Kilifi in particular, to observe social-distancing with self-determination,” Mr Kagwe said.

CONTACT-TRACING

With every new confirmation in Kilifi and Mombasa, a fresh contact-tracing begins, widening the scope of exposure and showing how vulnerable the region has become to the spread of Covid-19.

“Tracing the new patients’ contacts and those of previous patients is ongoing,” Mr Kagwe said, adding that 1,029 people have been monitored, with 123 discharged after completing a 14-day follow up period.

“We are now remaining with 906 close contacts that our tracing teams are monitoring,” he said.

Kilifi, Kwale and Mombasa counties’ emergency response committees have enhanced surveillance.

For instance in Mombasa, the government has declared Likoni ferry a high risk area and has deployed coastguards and the National Police Service to take over its management, as it tries to enforce strict measures to arrest the virus.

“My officers will be at the channel to ensure that the measures that we are putting in place are fully implemented,” Brigadier Naisho Loonena, the Director-General of Kenya Coast Guard Service, said.

SOCIAL DISTANCE

Ferries emerged as the region’s weakest link mostly due to the crowding both on shore and aboard the vessels.

The ferry carries about 1, 500 people per trip, with the four vessels shuttling across Likoni channel moving at least 320,000 people daily.

“For us, the ferry is a critical area and that is why we are making it a high priority focus area,” Coast Regional Coordinator John Elungata said.

Mr Elungata said that police will ensure that pedestrians who board the ferries observe the one-metre social-distancing call.

“There will be no ferry operations at night. Operation will start when the curfew ends and close before the curfew starts. That is the position,” said Mr Elungata

The government is also monitoring 62 people who are on 14 days of mandatory self-quarantine at the Kenya School of Government in Mombasa.

“These are people who came back from other countries. After 14 days they will go home,” Mr Elungata said.

In Kwale, 30 people who came into contact with the two French nationals who tested positive for Covid-19 have been isolated.

In Taita-Taveta County, another 16 people who came into contact with the same tourists in Tsavo National Park are also quarantine.

Additional reporting by Brian Wachira