Pulse Editorial: Things are not back to normal; Wear masks, Observe social distancing when in public

An infuriated Kagwe lashed out at Kenyans after observing blatant disregard of simple government directives to curb the spread of coronavirus.

A few weeks later, there has been a surge of infections in the country, we now stand at 607 cases, 29 deaths and 197 recoveries.

Why are Kenyans locking themselves inside bars and pubs and gathering in large crowds just to consume alcohol? Do you think your the only Kenyan with insatiable appetite to hang out with friends again and quench that alcohol thirst?

Traffic has slowly been building up within our roads and reports indicate some matatus have gone back to the usual habits of carrying the normal number of passengers especially once they leave town.

A section of Kenyans have been spotted hanging around CBD doing nothing and gathering in huge crowds in blatant disregard of social distance.

Are Kenyans a special breed of just ignorant? Why is the public wearing face masks below the chin?

What is wrong with Kenyans? Are we waiting for a relative to die or get infected by covid-19 so that we can understand the gravity of the matter?

As of Friday 11: 33 am, global infections stood at 3,845,607, recoveries 1, 282,930 and 269,564 deaths.

Pulse Editorial:Kenyans risk being treated abnormally by Covid 19 Pulse Live Kenya

The government was forced to effect a partial lockdown in Eastleigh and Old Town in Mombasa after a drastic rise in the number of infections. These are the hotspots of coronavirus in the country including Kawangware and if we are not careful, the same could be replicated across the country.

To make matters worse, a section of the population fled Eastleigh and Old Town just before the ban of movement in and out of these two estates was effected at 7 PM.

How foolish and daring can you be to welcome a relative in your home without knowledge of whether he or she is infected?

For instance, five patients who tested positive for Covid-19 in Old Town Mombasa escaped with several members of their families.

How reckless can one be to endanger the lives of their own family members?

One of the biggest wins for Wuhan, the city believed to be the origin of Coronavirus, was compliance of cessation of movements in and out of the City. Wuhan was able to lift its lockdown after 76 days, with the City being declared Corona free, simply because people adhered to all the measures. We can also flatten the curve but only if we listen to directives given by experts.

Closure of business and most markets in Kenya should not be interpreted as a punishment but a measure meant to protect people.

Let us observe social distancing, wear masks while in public, stop violating the dusk to dawn curfew as well as the partial lockdown imposed in Coronavirus hot spots. This way we will be able to save lives and protect the people we love.

Pulse Editorial:Kenyans risk being treated abnormally by Covid 19 Pulse Live Kenya

Health workers

Our health workers have been on the forefront of fighting the novel coronavirus with all they have and in appreciation of their marvelous work, we have every Wednesday noon dedicated to them where all Kenyans applaud to appreciate the good job.

A section of these health workers (nurses) have issued strike notices, where they plan to down their tools over what they term as their pleas being neglected. However, with the covid-19 situation this doesn’t seem to be the best time to start fights with the government.

The nurses should have union officials engage the relevant authorities while they continue to attend to patients. Humanity is what needs to standout in such situations.

When health workers graduate from training institutions (Universities and colleges), they all swear an oath to protect lives and do no harm to humanity.

By threatening to down tools, that is one step towards not protecting lives and causing harm to humanity, many people depend on the services provided by these nurses to survive because many people suffer from many other diseases apart from Covid-19.

We are in this together, and the only way we can walk out of this pandemic stronger is by working together to see that it is contained.

Dear Kenyans, as responsible citizens, you don’t need the police to tell you what to do, it is also your duty to ensure you follow the set regulations as well as the people around you.

Wash your hands, observe social distance and stop the spread.

Additional writing by Brian Oruta