Covid-19: Kenya reaches 38,115 cases after 244 more test positive

Kenya on Sunday crossed the 38,000 mark of Covid-19 cases after reporting 244 new infections following the testing of 3,707 samples in the last 24 hours.

Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Mutahi Kagwe issued a statement saying the country's total number of infections had risen to 38,115 and the number of samples analysed since March to 540,308.

The ministry reported that 40 more patients had been discharged, raising the total number of recoveries to 24,621. Thirty of them were under the home-based care programme and 10 at various health facilities.

CS Kagwe announced two more deaths, raising the toll to 691.

He said the youngest patient was three months old and the oldest 85 and that males numbered 157 and females 87. Sixteen of the new patients were foreigners and 228 Kenyans.

Nairobi County led with 63 new cases and was followed by Nakuru with 59, Kisii with 23, Garissa with 16, Kisumu with 14, Mombasa with 13 and Kiambu with 10.

Then came Busia with nine, Trans Nzoia with seven, Turkana with six, Kajiado and Kericho with five each, Uasin Gishu, Narok, Laikipia and Siaya with two each, and Kakamega, Marsabit, Bungoma, Meru, Murang;a, Nyeri and Tharaka-Nithi with one each.

Hope

The update came amid hope that the country's infections curve will have flattened in two weeks.

Health Services acting Director-General, Dr Patrick Amoth, said this earlier, adding the main cause for worry at this stage is the second wave of infections, which he said will result in an emergency in Kenya.

“Whether we announce the infections or deaths daily is not anything to worry about. We should be more concerned about the second wave. This will be more dangerous,” he said.

Kenya’s fatality rate stands at 1.8 per cent against the 3.2 per cent globally.