Screening for the coronavirus in Marsabit County has been heightened with teams being stationed at various points of entry and on major roads.
The residents have also been advised to keep grass and other vegetation in their homesteads short in order to avoid catching malaria owing to the on-going rains in the area.
Marsabit County Commissioner, Evans Achoki, who is also the coordinator of the County Emergency Preparedness and Response Committee said 30 thermal-scanners have been provided by the National Government to test patients and travelers for signs of the virus.
Mr Achoki told KNA that all entry points into the country on the Kenya –Ethiopia border that include Illeret and in Moyale town were being manned by screening teams to ensure that all persons crossing the border from Ethiopia and back undergo first line of defense against the virus.
The County Commissioner added that major roads that connect the Sub-counties and the Moyale-Isiolo highway have teams that are strategically positioned to thermal-scan passengers for any signs of the deadly coronavirus.
This, he said, was aimed at ensuring that anybody with symptoms of Covid-19 is detected on time and as such stopped from moving to their destinations hence curtailing the spread of the disease.
Mr Achoki reiterated the importance of high sanitary standards and urged the Public Health Department to ensure that towns, trading centers and homesteads are kept clean with no overgrown vegetation.
The County Commissioner urged for sustained hand-washing, adding that a clean living environment would not only help keep coronavirus at bay but also malaria and rodent causing diseases.
The Administrator stressed the need for residents to stay at home and avoid unnecessary movements, travels and interactions, noting that by doing so will help in avoiding contracting the killer virus which has no treatment.
Mr Achoki also expressed concern that hawking of Miraa in polythene paper bags and its consumption in the streets of Marsabit town was continuing despite a ban and ordered the National Environment Authority (NEMA) to join hands with the public health officials to bring the activity to an end.
By Sebastian Miriti
