Christmas lockdown looms

In as much as County Governors push for restriction of movement in Covid-19 hotspots, some of the experts say a lockdown will not be prudent.

By Mourice Seretta

The National Response Committee on Covid-19 is meeting today to decide whether there will be a lockdown during this Xmas festivities.

This is after health experts and some committee members feared that the positivity rate could rise to up to 20 per cent should Kenyans drop their guard during the festivities.

The health experts are also worried with the numbers arguing that recording above 10 percent positivity rate is a bad sign and that with the festivities, the numbers are likely to increase.

They say the meeting today will be to see to it whether they are doing all to bring down the rate to less than five per cent.

In as much as County Governors push for restriction of movement in Covid-19 hotspots, some of the experts say a lockdown will not be prudent.

Governors are worried that since most of the counties are not well equipped and the movement of people from urban to rural areas could increase the number of severely ill patients, yet counties don’t have enough ICU beds.

They are pushing for the lockdown of high-risk counties to limit the movement of people from the said counties to the less affected regions.

Instead the experts are suggesting the tightening of existing curbs like curfew time.

The committee’s decision today will advise President Uhuru Kenyatta’s speech on the way forward and thereafter address Kenyans.