Red Cross on Tuesday donated buckets, jerrycans and soap to Garissa county to support hygiene efforts and stop the spread on Covid-19.
Northeastern regional manager Mohamed Abdikadir said they donated 1,000 pieces of 20-litre jerrycans, 10-litre jerrycans and buckets.
They also gave out 25 cartons of soap to encourage washing of hands.
The government has confirmed 16 cases of coronavirus. All cases arrived into the country between March 4 and 15, 2020.
Abdikadir dismissed myths that coronavirus does not affect Muslims and that the virus cannot survive in areas with high temperatures.
“Countries with similar climatic conditions as Northeastern, among them Saudi Arabia, have reported cases of coronavirus. These myths are misinformed,” he said.
Abdikadir urged residents to only adhere to messages from the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization and other partners.
Receiving the donation on behalf of the county government, director of health administration Abdullahi Daud stressed the need for residents to follow government directives to stop the spread of the virus.
Meanwhile, Red Cross is training officers from Garissa prisons to encourage hand washing among inmates.
Deputy officer in charge of the facility, Peter Komora, thanked the Kenya Red Cross for the initiative.
The county government has also enhanced screening at the Tana Bridge police barrier in Garissa town for all passengers travelling to and from Garissa.
Sahal Shire, the officer conducting the screening, said the drive was not meant to create anxiety among residents and travelers.
“These are preparedness steps where any passenger who has a body temperature beyond 38 degrees will be isolated and blood samples subjected to laboratory tests to ascertain the cause of the fever," he said
About 20 buses ply the Garissa-Nairobi route on daily, making it a hotspot for the spread of the virus.
Edited by A. Ndung'u
