Kisumu County Assembly adjourns sittings for two weeks over COVID-19 spike

Kisumu County has adjourned sittings for two weeks due to a spike in COVID-19 infections in the county.

While announcing the move on Tuesday, Speaker of the Assembly Elisha Oraro urged leaders in the county to sensitize the public on the pandemic.

The latest comes amid growing concerns of the rising cases in the county, which is considered the epicentre of the Indian COVID-19 variant’s transmission for the past month; the variant is thought to cause severe COVID-19 disease in those infected.

Kisumu county, which has been experiencing a surge, had the most new positive cases on Tuesday; with 129.

The latest report released by Kisumu county governor, Professor Anyang’ Nyong’o, is confirming the worse fears, the current infections rate are presenting more severe symptoms that earlier cases.

Over the last few weeks, Kisumu county has recorded a steady increase in its COVID-19 cases which have led to a cumulative number of 5,739 infections so far.

In the first week of May, 168 cases were recorded. The following week between the dates of 10th to 16th may the numbers rose to 181.

That number would be more than double in the following week where 373 cases were recorded.

Between 24th to 30th may, there were 805 cases, and later 780 cases between the dates of 31st to 5th June.

Such scenarios were witnessed in the latter week, during the Madaraka day celebrations and medical experts believe that the impact of flouting the COVID-19 rules will be felt in the coming weeks.

What is of concern however as Professor Nyongo cites is the mortality within the county, in quote, the mortality has increased from an average of 12 at the peak last year to a new peak of 18 per week, the age bracket above 60 years proven to be at the highest risk.

Now the countys’ COVID-19 multi agency committee is seeking to contain the virus by having a fresh crackdown on public service vehicles and bodabodas not complying with COVID-19 rules as well as by closing all county offices save for essential services until further notice.

Additionally, the committee urges members of the public not to physically attend worship centers for their own safety while also warning that those flouting home based care guidelines will be prosecuted after institutional confinement and negative testing.