COVID-19 task force decries flouting of health ministry protocols

The national task force on Covid-19 has decried an increased flouting of the Covid-19 protocols even as the country stares at a possible spike in cases during the cold months of June and July.

Commander NMACC, Major General Ayub Matiiri, cautioned that such laxity will be costly if not checked.

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“It is our collective responsibility to fight this disease. As we approach the cold season people tend to crowd in small spaces and this will inevitably worsen the situation,” he said, with emphasis on informal settlements and market places which he termed as high risk areas.

He was speaking at the National Multi-Agency Command Centre on Covid-19 (NMACC) headquarters in Embakasi Garrison.

The commander noted that patrols by NMACC officers across the country have revealed many Kenyans especially in low-income areas are not strictly following the MOH protocols risking their lives and those of their loved ones.

“It’s disturbing to see Kenyans jamming bars and restaurants without masks and flouting the 1.5m social distancing rule,” he said.

Commander Matiiri urged Kenyans to be extra vigilant now that the deadly Indian variant has been recorded in the country more so in Kisumu and Kilifi.

He lamented that some Kenyans erroneously believe that the reopening of the economy is an indication of reduction of the Covid-19 pandemic and underscored that the fluctuations notwithstanding, the bottom-line is that the disease is still rife with us.

He also urged Boda Boda operators and traders in open markets to take the necessary precautions while going on with their daily activities to prevent the spread of the pandemic.

The commander urged Kenyans residing in counties where low vaccine uptake has been recorded to seize the opportunity and get the jab so they can have better chances of beating the virus.

The counties where low uptake has been recorded include; Mandera, Wajir, Isiolo, Marsabit, Garissa and Kwale.

Speaking at the same forum, Dr. Carol Nguno of Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) warned fluctuating positivity rate does not mean the pandemic is ending and Kenya is still not out of the woods.

“We have not yet achieved the threshold set by the World Health organization when it comes to positivity rate,” she noted.

She added that Nairobi County will not hesitate to put in place stringent measures should cases increase in coming weeks to curb further spread of the disease.

“MoH has done its part by giving out the safety protocols; but the critical part lies with each Kenyan to realize that they have a sole responsibility to implement them,” she added.

Kenya lifted containment measures in Nairobi and four other surrounding counties on May 1 after being in lockdown for four weeks during which time President Kenyatta warned that anything is possible should the situation change and the government will not hesitate to take further measures if need be.