The Murang’a County Assembly was on Wednesday closed for two weeks due to rising Covid-19 cases.
The assembly’s clerk Kuria Thuita said in an internal memo that all members of the assembly and staff will work from home for 14 days.
“Officers offering essential services will be on duty on a structured reporting schedule,” Mr Thuita said.
The county’s Health executive Joseph Mbai had warned that Covid-19 wave was at its peak in the county.
He said the county is likely to issue more stringent measures to curb spread of the disease.
Meanwhile, in Meru, the county government will shut part of its inpatient services at the Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital to create space for critically ill Covid-19 patients.
Meru has recorded more than 130 Covid-19 cases in the last three weeks with 67 currently admitted in various hospitals in the region.
According to the hospital’s nursing services manager Purity Kathambi, the unit had procured 402 Covid-19 isolation beds with Meru Level Five hospital having 56. Out of the 67 admitted patients, 47 are at the Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital leaving out less than 10 beds unoccupied.
“The Covid-19 cases are increasing by the day and most of the patients are coming in critical condition. Such patients need piped oxygen which has more pressure for effective management.
“If all the available beds are fully occupied, we will have to relocate patients from the medical and surgical wards to treat Covid-19 patients,” she said.
She said recovering patients in medical and surgical wards would be moved to Level four hospitals and urged them to bear with the circumstances.
Ms Kathambi said the hospital is preferred for Covid-19 management since there is an ICU facility.
The measures come a few days after the county government sent home all county employees in non-essential departments to contain the spread of the pandemic.
Medical services Chief Officer Dr James Kirimi said 10 people have succumbed to Covid-19 in the last three weeks with 2, 701 cases recorded so far.
“None of the 67 patients in the hospital have been vaccinated. This is why we urge residents to take up the vaccine because it will reduce the impact in case one is infected,” Dr Kirimi said.
About 26,000 people received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine while 16,500 have got the second dose.
The health executive said public health and police will intensify enforcement of Covi-19 containment measures to avert the spread. BY DAILY NATION