Doctors in Kenya have formally asked President Kenyatta to close counties in and out. The request from the Medical Association of Kenya (KMA) was made in a statement ahead of today's meeting with Ministers and Governors.  
In the communiqué, the association indicated that there has been a sharp increase in the number of Covid-19 cases, stressing that the Government should consider stopping movements into and out of at least some counties.
"We call on the Government to reinstate the severe restrictions on movement within counties that are experiencing a peak of infection," the media statement said, "There is a significant increase in patients with more severe clinical symptoms, with a significant increase in the proportion of patients requiring oxygen and special care.
Among the association's recommendations is also to ban all gatherings, including political rallies, for a period of no less than 30 days and to tighten the grip on those bars and restaurants that are operating in total disregard of safety guidelines.
The KMA has also asked the government to ensure strict compliance with COVID-19 preventive measures in schools, linking them directly to the health service.
With regard to the specific requests to the category, doctors are calling for healthcare facilities to be better equipped to receive and treat Covid-19 patients in the best possible way and to hire more staff to guarantee citizens higher standards of care and assistance.
"We call for all health care workers to be provided with adequate, quality personal protection equipment and to implement the compensation plan for health care workers, paying their salaries on time," concludes the statement.
Today we will see whether their expectations will be met in full or what and how many of these demands can be met. The closure of the counties, in particular, would be a penalising decision for much of the country. A fortnight ago, the Ministry of Health reported five counties as most at risk of a new lockdown: Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Kericho and Turkana. Subsequently, Kilifi County was also reported as another possible "red zone", as had already happened last April.