Kisumu Governor Anyang' Nyong'o on Wednesday warned that the Covid-19 crisis could worsen if residents lower their guard in the fight against the virus.
He said some residents had thrown caution to the wind, thus putting lives at risk. Nyong'o spoke a day after Kisumu recorded the highest number of cases. It had 102 cases on Tuesday, the highest of all the county figures announced that day.
The governor said county health facilities were already getting overwhelmed by the surging numbers. He said Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital was already full and could no longer admit more Covid-19 patients.
He at the same time revealed that the hospital, which is supposed to be the regional referral facility, was moving some of its Covid-19 patients to Siaya county and other lower facilities within the county.
His admission, however, puts to doubt the county's level of preparedness in handling a surge in Covid-19 numbers. Counties received money from the National Treasury last year to boost their capacities in anticipation of swelling coronavirus numbers.
According to Aloyce Ager, the county director of communications, Kisumu by late last year had at its disposal 470 isolation beds for Covid-19 patients. "When the cases started going down, we converted the spaces for other uses," he said.
Nyong'o regretted on Wednesday that despite spirited campaigns by the county Covid-19 rapid response team to constantly remind residents of the need to adhere to the Ministry of Health protocols, many people still ignore the calls.
"It is true that the numbers are rapidly rising and we are at dangerous levels," he said.
"But it is frustrating that the more we ask people to observe the containment measures, the more defiant they become."
He said people were still attending burial ceremonies in huge numbers, more than the recommended 200.
"They don't observe social distance as required and they don't put on facemasks. Keeping bodies overnight is still the norm. This wave is lethal and must not be taken for granted," the county chief said.
"Soon, all these facilities will be full and we will not be able to handle the situation at all. We are already at a dangerous stage and it might move to even worse proportions if we don't heed to the protocols."
According to the county director of health, Dr Fred Oluoch, the cumulative Covid-19 cases stand at 3,810. He said that on Wednesday, the county had 211 patients in home-based isolation and another 34 isolated in health facilities.
"We have, however, vaccinated a total of 25,924 people against Covid-19," he said.
Last Thursday, the county isolated 100 people who came into contact with five patients who tested positive for the Indian Covid-19 variant.
Health executive Boaz Otieno announced that the county disease surveillance teams had begun tracing the contacts of the eight who were working at a fertiliser plant in Kibos and those in isolation.
“The county government of Kisumu has stepped up surveillance after the Indian variant of Covid-19 was detected in the county,” the statement read.
Acting director general of health Patrick Amoth had told the country that five cases were identified two weeks ago on arrival in the country before the ban on flights from India was imposed.
The cases were detected following gene sequencing carried out on samples taken to the national government testing laboratories.
On Wednesday last week, Dr Amoth said the results of the genome sequencing for more samples at Kemri Walter Reed centre in Kisumu were expected in a week.
"This variant has been picked in Kenya and because of connectivity, it was just a matter of time. You cannot put barriers to prevent a virus from accessing your territory," Amoth said.
"We picked this from a sample of Indian travellers who are doing some work in the western part of Kisumu. We have gone ahead together with the Kisumu county health team to do contact tracing."
Dr Amoth said the five were staying in a camp, making it easier to trace them.
Siaya, which now receives patients from Kisumu, had by Tuesday reported 16 new cases from 68 samples tested. According to Siaya county chief officer of health Eunice Fwaya, the county's daily positivity was 23.5 per cent.
Dr Fwaya said Siaya had reported a total of 1,051 cases.
"Cumulative samples tested since March are 13,941 and cumulative Deaths are 31," she said.
Seven cases isolated in health facilities, while 38 cases were in home-based isolation. The Star established that amongst those hospitalised was an MCA who tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday.
The ward rep was admitted to the county referral hospital and he is on oxygen. Siaya Township had 10 cases.
Dr Fwaya declined to comment on the issue but disclosed that the county has vaccinated 10,714 residents.