Kenya's Covid-19 death toll rises by 18 as 486 more turn positive

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe briefs the media at Afya House in Nairobi on April 2, 2021, on the Covid-19 pandemic in Kenya.

Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation Media Group

 The total confirmed Covid-19 cases in Kenya has risen to 145,67 following the reporting of 486 new infections in the past 24 hours.

This resulted in a positivity rate of about 12.4 per cent, the ministry said.

In a statement on Sunday, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said the new cases were  from a sample size of 4,134.

From the 486 new cases, 463 are Kenyans while 23 are foreigners, with 278 being male and 208 being female. The youngest is a three-month-old-infant while the oldest is 94.

At the same time, CS Kagwe said Covid-19 recoveries have risen by 490 to 99,095. He said that 318 are from health facilities while 172 are from home-based care.

The Health CS also announced that 18 more people have succumbed to Covid-19, raising Kenya’s cumulative fatalities to 2,348.

He revealed that two of the deaths occurred in the past 24 hours, 10 within the last one month and six were late death reports from various health facilities.

 The Ministry of Health further said 1,660 patients had been hospitalised by Sunday, with 256 of them being under intensive care. Of those in ICU, 44 were on ventilatory support, 181 on supplemental oxygen and 31 under observation.

 Another 257 patients were separately on supplemental oxygen, 236 of them being in general wards and 21 in high dependency units.

The number of patients in the home-based care programme stood at 5,994.

Nairobi County continues to lead with the number of infections per county with 264 followed by Kiambu 35, Kitui 20, Nakuru 19, Nyamira 17, Kajiado 14, Kilifi 14, Machakos 13, Mandera 12, Mombasa 11, Nandi 10 and Uasin Gishu 10.

Others include Meru 9, Kisumu 9, Nyeri 8, Homa Bay 5, Turkana 5, Kericho 3, Kisii 2, Laikipia 2, Lamu 1, Migori 1, Murang’a 1 and Tharaka-Nithi 1.