• SGR terminal will also provide all passengers with sanitisers.
• Measures to be concentrated on high population areas; Likoni crossing channel, SGR terminal, Kongowea and other markets and slum areas.
Image: FILE
Mombasa has banned all nightclubs from operating for the next 30 days in the wake of coronavirus. Normal bars and restaurants will operate until 11pm.
These are some of the measures announced by the Mombasa County Emergency Response on COVID-19 Committee on Saturday.
The committee met for more than three hours with the sticking points being the Likoni ferry crossing, the SGR terminal, the Kongowea and other markets and the slum areas.
These are the high population areas that the committee had a headache working on.
The Inspectorate, NYS and other security agencies will man the ferry crossing where handwashing provisions at both sides will be made available.
The SGR terminal will also provide all passengers with sanitisers.
The committee, co-chaired by Governor Hassan Joho and county commissioner Gilbert Kitiyo, also suspended prison visits for the next 30 days.
Visits to the sick in hospitals have also been restricted to two immediate family members per patient. Among the suspended activities also include all inter-school functions, all public gatherings and meeting events, all inter-agency, inter institution and inter-religious meetings and gatherings.
Joho and Kitiyo announced that a door-to-door sensitisation campaign on good hygiene will be conducted.
All religious institutions, hotels and government agencies are to provide worshipers with soap, water and sanitiser.
Joho said hotlines will also be set up and will be published in the dailies. The hotlines include 0777777242, 0734881233 and 0793390984.
"These are hotlines ready to respond to any query and assistance needed," the governor said.
Kitiyo said when one observes the symptoms of the virus, they should self-quarantine, call the hotlines and public health officers and experts will respond. He said the officers will come to the specific area where the caller is, do some test before taking other necessary steps.
"Let us walk together. Don't look for criticism," Joho said when asked about measures on ECD centres that are run by the county.
Universities are no different from ECD under these circumstances, Joho said.
He said the Rahamtula Unit at the Coast General Hospital is ready for conversion into a coronavirus isolation unit.
It has a 19-bed capacity.
The governor also said the county will also use two more level 4 hospitals that have been built but are yet to be opened as isolation units.
These are Marimani and Mtongwe level 4 hospitals in Kisauni and Likoni constituencies respectively. The two will create over 30-bed capacities.
"We are ready," Joho said.
He said currently, the county is looking to create ventilation in those new facilities.
Joho however said the preventive measures that must take place must begin at home.
"That is why we are having this sensitisation programme that we will run a campaign on.
"The rest is for us as individuals to do. That is why we ask for maximum cooperation in this."
Edited by R.Wamochie