How Villages in Kenya are gripping spread of Covid-19

The spread of Coronavirus pandemic in Kenya continues to cut
through communities and villages, with the ministry of health reporting a total
of 20 counties affected so far.

The latest county to be affected by the virus is Bomet, with
one positive case reported on Wednesday, out of the 22 nationwide cases.

Kagawet village in Itembe Location, Chepalungu constituency
is just but an example of villages in the country that the virus has grown its
roots.

Even as the government set guidelines and measures to curb
the spread of the virus –including cessation of movement in and out of the
hard-hit counties of Nairobi, Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale and Mandera –the big
question remains, how is Covid-19 riveted in these villages.

According to Nation, the case in Kagawet village, Bomet
comes from a 55-year-old said to have travelled from Nairobi on May 4, using a
police vehicle.

Upon arrival, he was admitted to Longisa Hospital with
diabetes illness but later died –with his samples taken for Covid-19 test at
KEMRI the following day.

A week after, the results turns positive for Covid-19 –and his
body laid to rest on Wednesday night, based on the Ministry of Health (MoH)
guidelines.

A total of 36 people, including 16 of his family members, 10
doctors and nurses are currently under quarantine at Kaplong Girls High School
in Sotik Sub-county.

However, it is not clear whether the police officer who
travelled with the diseased from Nairobi has been isolated, the car traced, cleaned
and other officers who came in contact with him or the car traced.

The Nation account that a family member who sought anonymity
said, “A police vehicle was secured by a relative who is policeman to transport
the man from Nairobi. He had been undergoing treatment in Nairobi on and off
for some time before the transfer to Longisa Referral Hospital.”

Bomet County Governor Hillary Barchock has also revealed
that the family of the diseased was discrete on the matter, putting the public
and medical officers at risk.

One relative to the deceased who had accompanied him to hospital
had not been traced by Wednesday afternoon.

This puts the whole county at risk of contracting the virus,
as contact tracing is not yet clearly defined based on the case.

Meanwhile, a child from Baringo County, who was undergoing
eye treatment at Tenwek hospital, tested positive for Covid-19, after he was
transferred to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), Nairobi last week.

Based on this case, ten doctors at Tenwek Hospital have been
placed under isolation, however, it is no clear where the child contracted the
virus.

The porous nature of Kenya’s border has also been putting
her villages and communities at stake, with Namanga border posing danger from
neighouring Tanzania.

The government recently identified border points and truck
drivers as the new challenge in the fight against the virus.

Out of the 22 cases reported on Wednesday, 3 are from Kajiado
county recorded at Namanga border.

Health CAS Rashid Aman said that the
East African Community (EAC) has planned to set mobile laboratory at border points,
one to be place at Namanga border by next week.

So far, the country has tested 35,432
samples since the novel coronavirus pandemic was first reported in March,
tallying the total number of cases to 737.

22 patients were discharged from
hospital, bringing the total number of recoveries to 281.