KISII, Kenya June 12 – Kisii County Government has ordered the closure of churches in Nyaribari Chache Subcounty due to the high rate of COVID-19 cases in the area.
The move was arrived at following an advisory issued by the County public health officers.
County Secretary Patrick Lumumba said the spiraling infections have to do with the recent Madaraka celebrations in the neighboring Kisumu County.
“We are worried the situation might run out of control since positive cases are on the rise each and every day,” he said.
The first notice was issued on Friday to Birongo Central SDA in Keumbu ward ordering the closure of churches for two weeks after many cases were recorded among members.
The County has since ordered many of its staff to work from home following the new development.
At least 10 employees at the devolved unit’s Treasury department are said to be ailing from the disease.
Nyaribari Chache alone has registered more than 140 infections in the past month.
Area Public Health officer Florence Tirimba cited Kisii Central and Birongo Wards as hard hit.
“We have noted a swell for the last few days which informed the temporary halt in church attendance. We have also had consultations with the Ministry of Health which advised so,” she said.
Several deaths were also reported.
As of Friday, Kenya had recorded 174, 733 cases and 3, 378 deaths. 1,095,122 had been vaccinated against the virus countrywide by June 11, 2021.
Kenya is currently using the AstraZeneca vaccine with the government already setting in motion plans to acquire more vaccines from Johnson and John as well as Pfizer so as to vaccinate 70 percent of the country’s adult population.
