Laikipia Governor Ndiritu Muriithi has raised the alarm over rising cases of Covid-19 infections and deaths in the region.
Speaking in Nanyuki town during the Mashujaa Day celebrations on Tuesday, Muriithi said 11 people had succumbed to the disease while another 360 were infected as of Monday.
“We are experiencing a surge in the number of new infections as well as fatalities. We have tested 6,500 samples. Testing remains a constraint,” Muriithi said.
The governor appealed to residents to continue observing protocols given by the Ministry of Health, including social distancing, washing hands with soap and sanitising to curb the spread of the contagion.
He appreciated and recognised teams that have been at the forefront in managing the health and socio-economic crisis occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic. They include medical personnel, police officers and community health volunteers.
“More than 1.5 million travellers have been screened at various entry points in Laikipia. Let us appreciate those who participated in the exercise,” Muriithi said.
Across the country 45,647 people have tested positive for the virus and 842 have died. More than 33,000 people have recovered from the virus.
Mashujaa Day celebrations in Laikipia were skipped by local leaders as none of the region’s four MPs attending.
MPs Mohammed Amin (Laikipia East), Patrick Mariru (Laikipia West), Sarah Korere (Laikipia North) and Woman Representative Catherine Waruguru did not show up. Senator John Kinyua also skipped the event.
County assembly speaker Patrick Waigwa and leader of Majority Peter Thomi were present.