Nairobi Hospital allocates 4 more wards to COVID-19 cases as infections surge

The Nairobi Hospital has allocated four more wards to the management of COVID-19 patients following a surge of new cases.

In an internal memo seen by Citizen Digital, the hospital has set aside the St Andrew’s, St. David’s, St. Francis (for those awaiting test results) and Short stay unit (SSU) wards for the management of COVID-19 patients.

Further, the hospital announced that plans are underway to have COVID-19 cases managed at the Old School of Nursing.

The latest comes in the backdrop of an announcement from the Ministry of Health that Kenya is headed for a second coronavirus wave.

Speaking to the media during a briefing at the Afya House on Sunday, Health CS Mutahi Kagwe attributed the surge in cases to the return of normalcy since the relaxation of restrictions erstwhile imposed to avert the spread of the virus.

He noted that social joints especially bars have flouted guidelines by MoH especially on face masks and social distancing.

“The spike we are witnessing has not erupted from nowhere, it’s because of defiance. Bars are not maintaining social distancing, wearing of masks, I plead with you to follow the measures so that the measures are not escalated,” he said.

“What happens when you go to the pub, get infected then infect your children who are now back to school, think about it, they will, in turn, infect other pupils, and they will infect others, the story can unfold,”
CS Kagwe now wants politicians, leaders, and business people who are organizing events that attract crowds to adhere to rules issued by MoH.

He noted that politicians were sending the wrong signals by holding meetings where attendees mingled freely without face masks or respect to social distancing.