Provide training and protective gear to health workers urgently

The number of people with coronavirus climbed to seven yesterday, from four the day before. Considering that the first case was reported only five days ago, all indications are the infections will continue to rise in the days to come.

In fact, going by what has happened in other countries — China, Italy, Iran and the US — we are yet to see the worst.

But, again, going by the lessons we have learnt from these countries, we can change the trajectory of this virus — if we take the right decisions early.

Italy has borne the brunt of coronavirus partly because the government dithered to take action after the first cases were reported.

Luckily, our government swung into action early enough and has been working hard to trace and isolate anyone who had come into contact with those confirmed to have coronavirus.

Besides that it has ordered all learning institutions across the country closed and banned public gatherings, including funerals and weddings, which will go a long way in the fight against this virus.

That said, one wonders whether the measures taken by some governors are well thought out. While closing markets may help fight the spread of coronavirus, one wonders where people will buy food. Governors might, therefore, save us from coronavirus but we end up dying from hunger. Closing bars and other businesses without providing proprietors with a safety net is also absurd.

To aggravate matters, it is clear the government is not adequately prepared to deal with this pandemic. Nurses at Mbagathi Hospital, which alongside Kenyatta National Hospital are supposed to be at the forefront of this battle, have complained they have not been trained on coronavirus and lack protective gear.

Things are worse in the counties where governors have confessed they lack the capacity to deal with Covid-19. County hospitals lack protective gear, adequate testing kits and health workers are yet to be trained. Clearly, we are sitting on a ticking bomb.

Since it became apparent Covid-19 would spread to all corners of the planet, the government had enough time to prepare. But it clearly did not. It must now right its wrongs. So, even as the nation seeks God’s intervention on Saturday, government must ensure all hospitals have the right arsenal to fight this virus.