Kenya's Covid-19 cases reach 94,500 as 349 more get infected

Health Cabinet Secretary Senator Mutahi Kagwe

Health Cabinet Secretary Senator Mutahi Kagwe briefs the media on the Covid-19 pandemic in Kenya at Santamore Specialized Surgical Hospital in Muranga County on December 18, 2020. 

Photo credit: Pool

The Health ministry has reported 349 new Covid-19 infections in Kenya after testing 5,025 samples in the past 24 hours,  raising the number of declared infections since the first one in March to 94,500.

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe made the announcement in a statement on Sunday, adding that the number of samples tested for the diseases had risen to 1,008,518.

Three hundred and thirty four of the new patients were Kenyans and 15 foreigners, 230 male and 119 female, the youngest 11 months old, and the oldest 98.

Nairobi accounted for 156 of the new cases, Nyeri 34, Kirinyaga 30, Meru 27, Uasin Gishu 25, Mombasa 17, Kiambu 15 and Busia 13.

Nandi recorded seven, Murang'a six, Nyandarua four, Machakos three, Garissa, Kisii and Trans Nzoia two, and Tharaka Nithi, Turkana, Kajiado, Nakuru, Embu and Laikipia one each.

Deaths, recoveries

CS Kagwe further reported six more deaths, raising the country's toll to 1,639.

He also said that 176 more Covid-19 patients had recovered, 155 at home and 21 in hospital, raising the total to 75,735.

By December 20, 831 patients had been admitted at facilities countrywide while 5,834 are under home-based isolation and care. 

Of those hospitalised, 52 were in intensive care units (ICU), 25 of them on ventilatory support, 24 on supplemental oxygen and three under observation.

Another 28 patients were also on supplemental oxygen, but in the general wards (23) and high dependency units (five).