Governors hit out at vaccinated Kenyans flouting Covid restrictions

The Council of Governors has hit out at vaccinated Kenyans flouting Covid-19 regulations.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Council’s chair of the Health Committee Governor Anyang Nyong'o said, “There is also an emerging trend where some individuals who have been vaccinated no longer observing the Covid-19 measures due to the misguided notion that the vaccine guarantees immunity of contracting the virus."

He said that in recent weeks, the counties of Nakuru, Kakamega, Meru, Uasin Gishu, Murang’a, Meru, and Kisumu have reported an increase in the number of infections, which could overwhelm health facilities.

The Kisumu Governor has said that the county governments will embark on an advocacy programme to enlighten members of the public about the need to be vaccinated.

He said that in the last week, 31 country governments have been able to address the issue of isolation, ICU, and HDU beds.

The number of isolation beds is 6,253 while ICU beds are 312, and the available HDU beds are 110.

Nyong'o said that the cumulative number of vaccinated people in the 31 counties is 379,572, out of 469496 doses distributed.

The country governments have also put in place measures to address the issue of supply. Nakuru has increased the production of oxygen cylinders from 40 cylinders per day to 120 cylinders per day.

The council has added that the return of 48 Kenyan doctors who were sent to Cuba for post-graduate studies in family medicine will strengthen the healthcare systems in the country.

Also, CoG has pointed out the increasing number of gender violence against women and girls in several counties.

The governor said that the restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the virus have continued to elevate the risk of gender-based violence as victims are unable to access timely assistance from the police.

The governor said that the Council has secured a donation of PPEs worth Sh100 million from Covid-19 Action Fund for Africa, which is working closely with the local partners Living Goods and Lwala Community Alliance.

The donation included Sh10 million surgical masks and 164,000 face shields.

Nyongo said that the support will benefit 100,000 CHVs in all the 47 counties for the next three months.

The Ministry of Health has been asked to avail testing kits to the County Governments in order to up-scale Covid testing across the counties.

The council said that testing has been compromised due to lack of testing kits.

At the same time, the counties have asked the National Treasury to disburse Sh70.2 billion which it owes to counties before the end of the financial year.

CoG said that the Treasury has only released Sh13.7 billion to 25 county governments.