Laikipia leaders have expressed concerns over the widespread Covid-19 cases that continue to rise with the county recording 12 fatalities in just over a week.
The county has also recorded 249 new cases of infections in the last eight days.
Health chief officer Donald Mogoi on Tuesday said the 249 cases were detected from a sample of 1,313, indicating a positivity rate of 19 per cent.
He said 30 patients were admitted to various health facilities in the county and that all of them were on supplemental oxygen.
“The patients are in dire need of critical care and that is a worrying trend for us because we lack oxygen cylinders as a county. We don't have extra beds to continue admitting oxygen patients,” Mogoi said.
He appealed to residents to strictly follow the Covid-19 safety protocols issued by the Ministry of Health.
County commissioner Daniel Nyameti said the Covid-19 multiagency team has agreed to enforce the protocols to curb the spread of the virus.
“Whoever will be arrested for violating the protocols will be subjected to mandatory Covid-19 testing at self-cost of Sh1,500 each,” Nyameti said.
He warned that bars and restaurants that will violate the guidelines will have their licences withdrawn.
“We will not allow people to continue misbehaving,” the administrator said.
Governor Ndiritu Muriithi said they have started an operation to arrest revellers who are violating curfew.
“Last night, we arrested over 40 revellers at a popular entertainment joint in town for violating curfew and ignoring the protocols‚” Muriithi said.
He said they were not being harsh by doing this but that they are at a maximum capacity to cater for Covid patients.
“We have lost three patients at Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital alone in the last 24 hours,” Muriithi said.
He warned that security officers will be strict in ensuring adherence to the rules.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
