•The police will be in every funerals to ensure government directives are adhered to in order to avoid another priest's scenario
Image: LAMECK BARAZA
Eight people who were isolated in Siaya over suspicion that they could have contracted coronavirus have tested negative.
The eight were isolated after they came into contact with Fr Richard Oduor who presided over a funeral in Ugunja subcounty. Oduor tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday.
Most of the people who came into contact with the priest have since been traced and quarantined.
Addressing reporters in Siaya on Wednesday, Governor Cornel Rasanga and county commissioner Michael Ole Tialal said the test results were good news but asked residents not to relent and continue observing government directives.
Rasanga said they had so far traced 108 persons who interacted with the priest.
"We have asked them to observe the self-quarantine directive for 14 days to tame the spread of the virus in case they contracted it," Rasanga said.
The governor said the county has trained 529 health workers, 42 police officers, 50 prison waders and 2,074 health volunteers to sensitive residents on coronavirus and how to prevent its spread.
"We have scaled up our preparedness to tame the spread of Covid-19 in Siaya especially after the priest's visit," Rasanga said.
He asked residents to stay at home and observe personal hygiene to combat coronavirus.
"Personal hygiene and self-discipline are paramount in the war against Covid-19," Rasanga said.
He asked residents to keep away from funerals, with only close family members allowed to attend a burial. They must not exceed 15 in number.
"The police will be in every funeral to ensure the government directives are adhered to in order to avoid another priest's scenario," Rasanga said.
Tialal condemned boda boda riders and the public service vehicles for not observing government directive.
Boda boda riders are not allowed to ferry more than one passenger at a time while PSVs must reduce their capacity to ensure social distancing.
Tialal said most boda boda riders were still carrying more than one passenger at a time.
"The motorbike, according to the law, is supposed to carry one person but they are carrying as many as five on one motorbike," Tialal said.
He said the riders were also not observing social distance while waiting for customers.
"I have seen them congested in one shed under the guise of waiting for customers with no regard to social distance being emphasised by the government to tame further spread of Covid-19," Tialal said.
He said they were not going to take chances and would arrest those not observing the government directives to curb the spread of coronavirus.
He said public service vehicles not observing the measures will be impounded.
edited by peter obuya