Covid-19: Kenya records 660 new cases, 10.7 pc positivity rate  

Kenya's Covid-19 positivity rate increased to 10.7 per cent from 9.1 per cent the previous day, the Ministry of Health has announced.

On Thursday, the country recorded 660 new Covid-19 cases, out of 6,176 samples tested in the past 24 hours. This has raised the number of declared infections to 177,282 while the cumulative tests conducted stands at 1,887,636.

From the cases 642 are Kenyans while 18 are foreigners. 360 are male while 300 are  female. The youngest is a four-month-old infant while the oldest is 102 years.

In terms of County distribution; Siaya 123, Kisumu 102, Nairobi 78, Busia 68, Homa Bay 49, Mombasa 39, Kilifi 19, Nyamira 18, 2 Kakamega 17, Nakuru 13, Bungoma 13, Nyandarua 12, Bomet 12, Kisii 11, Meru 11, Uasin Gishu 11, Trans Nzoia 9, Vihiga 7, Migori 6, Garissa 5, Turkana 5, Baringo 4, Embu 4, Kiambu 3, Kitui 3, Murang’a 3, Kirinyaga 2, Laikipia 2, Mandera 2, Marsabit 2, Nandi 2, Narok 1, Kwale 1, Nyeri 1, West Pokot 1 and Kajiado 1.

According to Health CS Mutahi Kagwe 812 patients have recovered from the disease, 519 from various health facilities countrywide while 293 are from the Home Based and Isolation Care programme.

Total recoveries now stand at 122,018 of whom 88,479 are from Home Based Care and Isolation program, while 33,539 are from various health facilities.

During the same period six patients succumbed to the disease with one of them having occurred in the last 24 hours, while the other five are late deaths reported after conducting facility record audits. The cumulative fatalities now move to 3,434.

Mr Kagwe also noted that 1,059 patients are currently admitted to various health facilities countrywide, while 4,812 patients are on Home Based Isolation and Care.

Currently, there are 89 patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 25 of whom are on ventilatory support and 51 on supplemental oxygen. Thirteen patients are on observation.

“Another 114 patients are separately on supplementary oxygen with 109 of them in general wards and five in High Dependency Units,” Mr Kagwe said.

 The CS further noted that a total of 1,164,161 vaccines have so far been administered across the country. Of these, total first doses are 992,418 while second doses are 171,743.

 “The uptake of the second dose among those who received their first dose is at 17.3 per cent with the majority being females at 56.4 per cent while males are at 43.6 per cent proportion of adults fully vaccinated is less than 1 per cent,” Kagwe added.