The latest safety measures announced by the government are the surest signal yet that Kenya is headed for lockdown if the coronavirus spread escalates. More than ever before, citizens have a duty to stem the escalation and avert a calamity.
On Monday, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced new steps to contain the pandemic. Four counties have been put in partial lockdown.
Movement of people in and out of the Nairobi Metropolitan Area, Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale have been cancelled for 21 days in a bid to check infections. Nairobi accounts for the single-largest number of infections, at 82 per cent of the 158 positive cases recorded, making it the epicentre of the tragedy.
Although this is partial lockdown because movements continue within the counties, it is severe and bound to worsen the economic declines.
But all recognise that these are difficult moments that necessitate painful decisions. Curfew and health hygiene protocols enunciated before have not stopped new infections.
In various parts of the world, governments have declared total lockdown, curtailing movement and confining citizens to their homes.
Our circumstances are grim and such declaration may be too harsh for the people. Majority of the citizens eke a living from informal businesses and casual jobs. Any declaration that stops them from going out any single day would be catastrophic.
To ensure the country does not reach that tipping point where government declares complete lockdown, citizens have a duty to do everything within their capability to avert the pandemic.
For this reason, in addition to keeping personal hygiene all the time and at every place, other requirements, like wearing face masks, have to be observed.
We must all guard against mass infections as that would overwhelm the fragile health system. Since there is no known cure for the disease, having huge numbers affected and hospitalised would create an unmanageable crisis for the health sector. Prevention, therefore, as the adage goes, remains the best cure.
President Kenyatta also announced other plans to manage the crisis, including directing the National Treasury to release some Sh2 billion recovered from graft and redirect it to supporting the Covid-19 effort.
Similarly, the government has stopped all foreign and local official travel and directed that the respective budgets be channelled to dealing with the emergency. This is laudable and we urge that more resources be deployed to fighting the virus.
This is the closest the country has reached towards full shutdown and it is not in anybody’s interest that we get there.
Total blockade is extremely painful and has to be avoided at all costs. It is, therefore, incumbent on every citizen to avoid risky behaviour and play their part to avert new infections.
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