MEDIA BRIEFING NO. 14/2020 ON STATUS OF CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) IN MANDERA COUNTY BY H.E. CAPT. ALI IBRAHIM ROBA ON 14TH NOVEMBER, 2020 AT MANDERA COUNTY HEADQUARTERS.
Ladies and gentlemen of the press welcome to our press briefing this afternoon whose focus is the county Covid-19 situation and a fresh call to action by each individual.
As you may be aware, Kenya is experiencing the 2nd wave of COVID-19 pandemic. In this second wave which started in the month of October 2020, there is a great increase in the number of COVID-19 infections as well as fatalities in which many lives have been lost including health workers in the frontlines. The main reason for this occurrence is as a result of the public letting down their guard due to pandemic fatigue. Here in Mandera County, we are now seeing a serious upsurge in numbers, with more people now showing serious symptoms of COVID-19 compared to before. While Mandera County Government has done everything possible including setting up isolation facilities with 306 beds, Intensive Care Services at MCRH with a-16-ICU-bed capacity, Mandera Rehabilitation Centre and Elwak Sub County Hospitals, COVID-19 testing Laboratory at MCRH and initiated mass testing, it MUST be known that it is only through community involvement in observing preventive precautions that we can defeat this scourge.
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The last confirmed case of COVID-19 death was of someone who presented with symptoms of difficulty in breathing and was rushed to a private facility and passed on within minutes of arrival and samples collected from the deceased has since turned positive. Across the learning institutions, only one case of confirmed COVID-19 was recorded at Duse secondary school and is stable under home based care. I will now give you the detailed breakdown of our situation now:-
1. The number of new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the last 24hrs are (7), bringing the total number of cumulative confirmed cases in Mandera County to Eighty (80).
2. The total number of deaths reported since the outbreaks are four (4) in number. Case fatality rate is (5) percent.
3. Home Based Care- 37
4. Facility Based Care – 7
5. Discharges – 6
6. Deaths (New) – 2 new
7. The total number of samples tested since the beginning of the outbreak is one thousand one hundred and seventy-two (1172) of which 854 were tested at Nairobi lab while 318 tested at Mandera molecular lab.
8. As of today the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 according to sub-counties are –Mandea East – (67), Mandera North
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(5), Mandera West (2), Mandera South– (3), Banisa (2) Lafey (1) Kutulo sub-county is yet to report any case.
9. All of the COVID 19 positive cases are Kenyans (80).
10. A total of seventy (70) health workers were screened for COVID-19 of which one was positive he was on leave and likely contracted the disease from community. He is in stable condition
11. Screening is on-going at 18 sites in all the Sub Counties. The total number screened so far are 278,155 of which 194, 321 were done at health facilities and 83,834 at entry and exit points.
12. Enforcement of public health measures such as hand washing, social distancing, wearing of masks in public places is on-going in all sub-counties.
13. A total of 88 schools were inspected for school COVID-19 compliance at all sub-counties and the exercise is on-going.
Ladies and Gentlemen, from the foregoing, there is no doubt we are in a dangerous situation and we have no choice but to act fast to ensure every citizen takes it as a personal responsibility to comply with public health measures to cut off the transmission chain.
The County Government now directs the following:-
1. All citizens must put on face mask anytime they step out of their homes day and night. The County enforcement and security teams will apprehend and charge anybody who contravenes this directive.
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2. All sub county and ward administrators, are directed to work closely with health and security teams to make sure compliance is enforced to the letter.
3. All service points in County government and National Government offices MUST adopt a NO MASK NO SERVICE policy and also ensure the office space complies with COVID-19 transmission risk minimization including checking temperatures of all persons coming to seek services from offices.
4. Public Service Vehicles MUST comply with all preventive measures and where there is non-compliance the permits will be automatically revoked.
5. Leaders of Masjids and Churches MUST ensure that congregation wears mask, have hand-washing points, strictly observe social distancing and are advised to bring own mats for prayers.
6. The public is advised to visit to health facilities when feeling sick or showing symptoms like coughing, fever, sneezing should NOT fear stigma associated with the disease. The Corona illness in most instances is short-lived but we must not relax in observing public health protocols.
END OF STATEMENT
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