The fight against Covid-19 in Marsabit County received a major boost Tuesday after two non-governmental organisations (NGOs) donated assorted PPEs to help contain its spread.
The assistance that was presented to the county response committee co-chaired by Governor Mohamud Ali and County Commissioner Evans Achoki comes at a time that the county has recorded 3 coronavirus cases.
Mr Achoki reiterated the importance of obeying the Ministry of Health guideline without exception noting the confirmed cases in the county gave the local residents even more reason to worry about their safety.
The county commissioner pointed out that wearing face masks in public places was a legal requirement and cautioned that those defying the law would be arrested and prosecuted.
While thanking the donors, USAID and the European Union (EU) funded Strategies for Northern Development (SND), Mr Achoki asked residents to cooperate in the fight against the pandemic adding nobody would be attended to in offices without having a face mask on and observing social distancing.
“I am instructing workers in our offices not to render services to anybody who doesn’t follow covid-19 containment measures outlined by the Ministry of health,” he said adding that members of the public should also refuse to be attended by officers who do not adhere to the same measures.
The County commissioner termed border areas like Moyale, Sololo North Horr and Illeret as vulnerable and called on residents to remain keen in order to keep the pandemic at bay.
Governor Ali implored upon the people of Marsabit not to take the government guidelines on containing Covid-19 for granted noting they were essential in saving lives and avoiding suffering.
The donations included hand washing booths, alcohol-based sanitizers, soap bars, face masks, billboards and sensitization materials among other non-food items.
The donations target far flung remote areas like Illeret which according to SND Programme coordinator Dida Tache required attention as was the case with urban areas and nearby settlements.
According to the chief officer of health Fatuma Jillo, the confirmed cases that include a 7-month-old baby were being attended to at the Marsabit county referral hospital isolation ward.
She said the victims were clinically stable and they were responding well to treatment.
