• Only those identified by patients during admission will be allowed to visit them in health facilities.
• Bars and nightclubs to operate between 5pm and 11pm.
Image: MUTUA KAMETI
Makueni has restricted the number of visitors in hospitals, drinking hours and banned market days in efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus.
The county emergency response committee co-chaired by Governor Kivutha Kibwana and county commissioner Maalim Mohammed has also announced reduction or complete stoppage of all social and religious gatherings including funerals, weddings and meeting at miraa and muguka chewing joints.
“Some traders may think we are denying them business opportunities but it is in these gatherings where the virus can easily spread to a large number of people. All market days remain suspended with immediate effect,” Kibwana said in his office in Wote town.
He read the statement after an hour-long meeting with members of the committee.
Traders operating bars and nightclubs were ordered to operate from 5pm to 11pm.
“We have also suspended with immediate effect social gatherings such as sporting, muguka and miraa chewing joints and only licensed bar operators will be allowed to operate,” the governor said.
Public transport and boda boda operators were also directed to observe hygiene and provide hand washing facilities such as alcohol-based hand sanitisers, soap and water for passengers at bus terminals and in the vehicles.
According to the committee’s guidelines, only family members identified by patients during admission will be allowed to visit them in health facilities.
Mohammed said the guidelines will be enforced by security officers but called on residents to observe self-discipline.
“Let us not panic, with precautionary measures well observed, I can assure you we will be able to contain the virus. However, we appeal for self-discipline," he said.
Health executive Andrew Mulwa said the county had set aside 53 isolation beds in case a Covid-19 case was reported.
He said they are training all medical staff on how to handle the virus.
However, a spot check at Wote bus park on Tuesday showed that matatus did not have sanitisers in all picking spots that were crowded with passengers – most of them students going home after the government announced the closure of all schools.
Lucy Nyang’oso, who had travelled from Nairobi to Makueni to pick her daughter from school, said she was not provided with any hand washing materials throughout her journey.
She said she only saw one matatu providing sanitisers to passengers on her way to Wote.
“I was lucky to sit next to a lady who had a hand sanitiser that we shared on my way from Nairobi, but when I was boarding here with my daughter, we were not provided with any,” she said.
Despite having not complied with the guidelines, some matatu drivers who spoke to the Star welcomed the guidelines, saying they will boost their protection against the virus.
“We are very much afraid of the virus because when we have to ferry people we are not sure of their status, we are also at the risk of being infected so we have to comply with the guidelines,” Michael Kyalo said.
There were, however, handwashing materials in hotels.
Edited by R.Wamochie