Media Briefing No. 16/2021 on the Status of Covid-19 in Mandera County By H.E. Capt. Roba on 15th March, 2021

Assalam Aleikum Warahmatullah Wabarakatuh
Ladies and gentlemen of the media, this is our 16th Coronavirus update since the pandemic was reported in Kenya last year. Today, we appeal for your continued support as partners in the war against Covid-19. So far we have carried out 1,441 tests at Mandera Molecular Covid-19 Laboratory out of which 94 have tested positive. Before we commissioned our Covid-19 lab, we took 854 samples to Nairobi out of which 29 turned positive.
We are in the third wave of Covid-19 which is more virulent and lethal. We have noticed that members of the public are lowering the guard due to pandemic fatigue which is a dangerous trend. In the last few weeks we are seeing unprecedented levels of Covid-19 like symptoms with confirmed positive cases being of severe forms in Mandera. In the last one week we had an elected leader discharged from our ICU after a long time. In Elwak we lost one patient and another at Mandera Isolation Centre. By now every one of us has lost a person they know, a friend or a relative to Covid -19. Coronavirus is real, it is not a myth.
The total number of deaths in the county stands at seven since the pandemic started. We are concerned we are approaching the Holy month of Ramadhan which will bring more people to places of worship.
We have temporarily closed our Treasury department after a staff member tested positive and ordered the entire team to work from home as we do contact tracing. In Nairobi death cases from Covid-19 is piling up by the day with hospital wards reported to be full and cannot take in more patients. We have to redouble our efforts at personal protection. Wearing masks at all times,, sanitizing, regular washing of hands, and social distancing at places of worship must be fully observed.
Covid-19 Astra Zeneca vaccine has been rolled out in Mandera targeting health workers, security officers and teachers. We ask all target groups to take advantage, visit our hospitals. In Mandera County, we have not seen any side effects of the vaccine administered and we urge our people to follow scientific and factual advice from Ministry of Health Officials