Impacts of Covid-19 in Kenya
Life was running on smoothly, as usual, until early this year when the country recorded its first case of the most dreaded virus, Corona, specifically COVID-19. We had been watching the news and seeing how the virus was spreading quickly from its origin, Wuhan in China. People thought that virus was not real. Others, associated the virus with the whites. However, the first record was enough to send shock waves throughout the nation.
The virus spread quickly, with each day having an increasing number of reported cases. The virus is mainly spread through contact with a surface, or a person with the virus. That necessitated the invention and implementation of several control measures to prevent and monitor the widespread of the Covid-19 infections. Some of the measures included: wearing masks, hand sanitizing, and social distancing.
The virus has negatively impacted the country through education, entertainment, health, and political sectors. This article delves into the negative influences that Corona virus has had on these sectors.
Impacts of Covid-19 on Education
The education sector has been the hardest hit in the country. Immediately after Corona’s pronouncement in the country, the head of state issued a directive that all the schools be closed indefinitely. There was no specific date set for the schools to re-open, and only relied on the invention of a more conclusive solution to the ravaging virus. All schools both, public and private, were not allowed to operate. Parents were now required to home school their children, where they could.
The private schools introduced online learning for their students. The online learning mostly took, and is still happening on online platforms such as WhatsApp, Google classroom, Zoom, and Microsoft meeting. The schools especially in the hardest hit regions were converted into isolation centres, where any thought to have interacted with a corona infected individual were quarantined for a period of 14 days, to determine their health status, pertaining the virus.
After 6 months, the government has allowed only students expected to sit for national exams towards end of 2020, to go back to school. That includes standard eight pupils, form four students, and the final year campus students. Until now, there is no definite date as to when the schools can reopen fully, since the virus is still spreading, and people are at risk of getting infected.
Impacts of Covid-19 on entertainment
The entertainment sector has suffered as a result of the virus. The government, in a bid to minimize spread of the virus, instructed that all entertainment joints be closed down. All entertainment joints were to remain closed until the virus was under control. The bars, churches, and mosques were prohibited from operating. Additionally, restaurants were also banned from operating, unless their employees were tested and proved not to be infected. Again, the restaurants were only allowed to provide take away food.
This directive was to help minimize exposure to the virus through contact. In the process, many lost their jobs and the revenues to these facilities reduced drastically. Others were even forced to close down completely because of the inability to sustain the constant costs operation such as rent.
Impacts of Covid-19 on the health sector
The health sector was not well prepared to deal with the constant rise of corona virus infections and deaths. The government had to allocate more money to the sector to enable it deal with the covid-19 situation. The government had to recruit over 5000 health professionals to tackle the severe situation. More ICU units had to be built, and more ICU beds and equipment were purchased and installed in the hospitals dealing with corona virus case.
Impacts of Covid-19 on the political sector
Politically, rallies were stopped. No one was allowed to hold any meeting or rallies. Anyone found to be contravening this directive was arrested and dealt with under the law. Also, the government received funding from various donors. However, the money was politicised and misused.
Conclusion
It is evident that the virus has done more harm, and if no conclusive solution, such as a vaccine or cure, is not devised, the virus will continue to rage havoc in the country. With the schools closed, entertainment joints closed, strained health sector and political sector lockdown, the country’s economy will plunge.
Work Cited