Govt directs Ministry of Education to identify 20 schools in each county to serve as coronavirus isolation centres

The government of Kenya has directed the Ministry of Education to work with county governments to identify at least 20 schools in each country which will serve as coronavirus facilities.

In a Tweet, Deputy President William Ruto said the schools will then be prepared and equipped as part of Covid-19 preparedness.

The DP said the Ministry of Health will start working with the governors as soon as possible to ensure the facilities are up and running.

At the same time, Ruto called on Kenyans to comply with the directives as pertains to personal hygiene and curfew.

“This pandemic poses an existential threat therefore every effort counts. This is no time for blame game. Let’s pull TOGETHER,” the DP wrote on Twitter.

Ruto’s update came a day after the Ministry of Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe rubbished claims that over 7,000 Kenyans were in mandatory quarantine.

CS Kagwe said although there was a likelihood that the numbers of infections would rise, the 7,000 number was exaggerated and untrue.

He scoffed at Dagoretti South MP John Kiarie who had taken to social media to accuse the government of sitting on the fence over the pandemic.

At the same time, he asked counties to identify schools that could be used as isolation centres should the hospitals be overrun.