Elgeyo Marakwet County shuts down over Covid-19 spread

Elgeyo Marakwet County Government has closed its offices to the public following a surge in coronavirus cases.

In a circular on Monday, County Secretary Paul Chemmuttut said all services provided by the county will remain shut for an unspecified period.

“Due to the recent surge in Covid-19 spread, it is hereby notified to the general public that there shall be total lockdown of County offices effective March 22,2021,” Chemmuttut said.

He said the lockdown was informed by the fact that locals were crowding the Public Works, Treasury and Procurement departments exposing themselves and county staff to great risk of spreading or contracting the disease.

Some Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) and staff who had travelled outside the county were reported to exhibit flu-like symptoms.

County Assembly Speaker Philemon Sabulei told The Standard that though no MCA or staff at the assembly had been tested and confirmed positive, the lockdown was a cautionary measure.

“At the moment, the assembly is a no-go zone, and we are fumigating the place. It will be opened early next month. We did not want to take any chances,” he said.

The directive also includes proceedings and goings-on of the County Assembly.

Elderly staff are required to work from home while residents have been urged to seek alternative channels of communication to receive services.

The county becomes the first to shut down services amid a growing third wave of Covid-19 infections, amid a revelation that most are ill-equipped to handle Covid-19 patients. 

So far, all 47 counties have each reported cases of the coronavirus, with Nairobi and Mombasa in the lead.

Last year, some counties scaled down operations after members of staff tested positive for the disease.