Kenya Covid-19 cases hit 11,252 as 51 leave hospitals
What you need to know:
- The Health ministry said it had tested 4,261 samples in 24 hours, taking cumulative samples tested in the country to 225,495.
Kenya has recorded 461 positive coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total tally of confirmed cases to 11,252.
Of the new cases, 432 are Kenyans while 29 are foreigners. The youngest patient in the new case load is one year old and the oldest is 86.
The Health ministry said it had tested 4,261 samples in 24 hours, taking cumulative samples tested in the country since March to 225,495.
Health Chief Administrative Secretary Rashid Aman said Wednesday that 51 patients were discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours, raising total recoveries to 3,068.
At the same time, Dr Aman said inadequate training on prevention and control of infectious diseases and overcrowding in shared facilities is to blame for the growing Covid-19 infections among healthcare workers in Kenya.
He added that poor implementation of safety protocols and guidelines such as the use of personal protective equipment are fuelling Covid-19 infection among health workers.
By Wednesday, 450 healthcare workers had been infected with the virus, after 264 were diagnosed in the last 15 days.
Dr Aman said protecting healthcare workers from the virus would prevent an interruption of health services.
“In the context of the rapidly evolving Covid-19 pandemic, occupational health and safety systems are critical.
“There is a need to institutionalise structured implementation of infection prevention and control measures in health facilities to minimise transmission of Covid-19 among healthcare workers,” he said.
Dr Aman urged healthcare workers to be on high alert to flag infected persons visiting hospitals and ensure that they take precautions to curb infections.
