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President Uhuru has praised efforts by health workers across the country as they confront the coronavirus pandemic.
As such, the president (pictured) has directed that all medical staff receive a welfare package from the Health Ministry to cushion them against the economic effects of Covid-19.
The officers who have been on the frontline in the fight against the coronavirus have on numerous occasions threatened to withdraw their services if the government does not guarantee their safety.
Last week, a statement from several groups of healthcare workers argued that the government should adhere to the World Health Organisation guidelines on tackling Covid-19 as far as readiness and equipment are concerned.
They called on government to also to ensure that the care of other patients requiring medical services should not be compromised due to focus on the pandemic.
In efforts to fasten the process and fight the pandemic, Uhuru assured that the government’s capability to test has gone up.
“We have now tested over 10,000 people and the Ministry of Health has received testing kits reagents that will enable us to cast a wider net,” he said.
New Directives
Other targeted interventions that the government will take include:
County governments to receive a three-month waiver for the purchase of masks and PPEs. This waiver applies to sourcing of products locally. That National government will also support county governments with an additional Sh5 billion. Needy households in Nairobi County have been identified and will be the inaugural recipients of the weekly Covid-19 stipends. The government also says it has released Sh500m to persons with severe disabilities.Kenya is now at 234 confirmed cases after nine more people tested positive for the coronavirus disease.
53 people have recovered and been discharged and 11 others have died.
There are nearly 1,000 people being monitored in quarantine and isolation facilities across the country. All cases are between ages two to 64 years, with persons from every social-economic group.
President Uhuru has asked Kenyans to continue observing the guidelines as stipulated by the Health Ministry saying, “Covid-19 is not a respecter of persons, leaders or race.” He continued: “We are not out of the woods yet, this pandemic is still hurting.”
Today marks exactly one month, three days since the first Covid-19 case was confirmed in the country.
On Wednesday, Health CS Kagwe slammed Kenyans for celebrating the current figures saying, “We are not out of danger. To those celebrating our numbers, note that our 4.6 per cent death rate is within the global range of 6.3 per cent.”
He added: “At the time we are at now, some countries who are experiencing serious issues had not started testing as we have done. The projected figures depend on what we do and are based on worst-case scenarios.”
Kagwe expressed concerned with incidents where Kenyans were uncooperative. “I am deeply perturbed to see a section of Kenyans not cooperating with the police. This is akin to inviting anarchy,” he said.
The ministry also put counties on notice where the virus seems to be spreading faster.
He said that the government had dispatched health officials to Siaya County, to examine the status of isolation facilities, sensitize locals and deliver supplies for medical staff in the region.
Kenya received two consignments of medical supplies from the Jack Ma Foundation and the World Health Organisation (WHO), to aid in the fight of the coronavirus pandemic.
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