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Covid-19: City Hall random screening, fumigation to continue Monday


Nairobi County government has stepped up screening and fumigation across the city as part of measures to minimise the spread of coronavirus which has killed more than 13,000 people globally.

Last week, the county screened more than 7, 800 individuals comprising of 2,057 adults, 5,328 children and 434 youths, where only two individuals found were with elevated temperatures.

The county also fumigated General Post Office (GPO), public resting areas around Hilton hotel, Kencom bus stage, Aga Khan walk and the expansive Gikomba market.

Other places sprayed included Khoja Stage, City Market, Kenya National Archives, Jeevanjee Gardens, Hakati road, Tom Mboya stage, Muthurwa market, Ronald Ngala Street and Mfangano Lane.

Nairobi Health executive Hitan Majevdia said they will this week spray the bus station and Railways matatu and train terminus where screening and fumigation will be done until Friday.

“The screening and fumigation exercise continues. We will focus all our efforts on the two matatu termini for the rest of the week as we join the rest of the country in the battle to minimize the spread of coronavirus which has seen seven people test positive,” said Majevdia.

The CEC said a total of 215 county health officers are involved in the exercise which targets public resting furniture, bus stops, markets and other areas with large social gatherings.

As part of response measures, Majevdia added that the county has availed 13 ambulances for use to transport any Covid-19 suspected case to the quarantine facility at Mbagathi Hospital.

Seven of the ambulances are at Kibera South Health Centre, Mathare Hospital, Mukuru Health Centre, Mutuini Hospital, Pumwani Hospital, Kahawa West and Dandora 2 Health Centres.

He explained that a rapid response team had been put in place to actively coordinate response to the coronavirus pandemic which has seen 15 Kenyans test positive by Sunday.

This is in addition to training 675 healthcare workers from 200 health care facilities, both public and private, with a target of having 3,000 health workers trained.

“We have also trained 1, 250 community health volunteers and additional 1, 250 others will be trained and activated to carry out community sensitization in line with the Presidential decree and Ministry of Health guidance,” he said.

He further said the county government has trained all county and sub-county health managers who are currently rolling out and supervising health facilities and offering community-level training.

“We have also recalled all health care workers, even those on leave to immediately report to their duty stations, as we respond to coronavirus pandemic,” he said.

To help the health workers in their course of duty, Mr Majevdia said they have received personal protective equipment and commodities from the Health Ministry and distributed to county hospitals.

Similarly, the county government has also initiated procurement of additional equipment and commodities that will also be distributed across the county.