Covid-19: Kenya records 904 new cases, 20 deaths

Mutahi Kagwe

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe briefs the media at Afya House Nairobi on March 29, 2021, on the Covid-19 pandemic in Kenya.

Photo credit: Lucy Wanjiru | Nation Media Group

 Kenya’s Covid-19 positivity rate stood at 15.9 percent on Thursday. The Ministry of Health reported 904 new infections from a sample of 5,673 tested in the last 24 hours.

The country’s number of declared infections rose to 154,392 while the cumulative tests stood at 1,624,663.

From the 904 new cases, 885 are Kenyans while 19 are foreigners, with 519 being male and 385 being female. The youngest is a two-month-old-infant while the oldest is 97.

At the same time, Health CS Kagwe said Covid-19 recoveries have risen by 88 to 105,367. He said that 76 are from health facilities while 12 are from home-based care.

The Health CS also announced that 20 more people have succumbed to Covid-19, raising Kenya’s cumulative fatalities to 2,560.

He revealed that seven occurred on diverse dates within the last one-month while 13 were late death reports from various health facilities.

The Ministry of Health further said 1,507 patients had been hospitalised by Thursday, with 226 of them being under intensive care. Of those in ICU, 52 were on ventilatory support, 144 on supplemental oxygen and 30 under observation.

Another 183 patients were separately on supplemental oxygen, 171 of them being in general wards and 12 in high dependency units.

The number of patients in the home-based care programme stood at 6,834.

Nairobi County continues to lead with the number of infections per county with 288 followed by Mombasa 88, Meru 54, Nakuru 32, Kakamega and Busia 31 cases each, Uasin Gishu and Nyamira 29 cases each, Kericho 27, Kisumu and Nyandarua 23 cases each, Murang’a 22, Kitui 17, Tharaka Nithi 16, Baringo, Kiambu, Kirinyaga and Nandi 14 cases each, Laikipia 13, Vihiga 12, Taita Taveta 11, Machakos and Kisii 10 cases each.

 Others include Marsabit, Bomet, Kilifi, Embu and Siaya 9 cases each, Trans Nzoia 7, Bungoma and Kajiado 5 cases each, Samburu and Mandera 4 cases each, West Pokot and Kwale 3 cases each, Homa Bay and Isiolo 2 cases each, Nyeri and Lamu 1 case each.