Record 1,395 new Covid-19 cases in Kenya as death toll nears 1,000

A train steward wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), ushers in passengers as they board the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) train in Nairobi on July 13, 2020, after the Kenyan government started easing Covid-19 restrictions.

Photo credit: Simon Maina | AFP

What you need to know:

  • CS Kagwe said 1,087 patients had recovered from the disease, 1,019 of them at home and 68 at health facilities across the country, raising the number of recovered patients to 39,963.
  • The ministry said 1,241 patients were in hospital as of Saturday, 55 of them in intensive care units (ICU) and 11 in high dependency units (HDU). 

Kenya on Saturday reported another record high of 1,395 new cases of Covid-19, raising its tally of declared infections to 55,192.

In a statement on the pandemic in Kenya, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said 7,635 samples were analysed in the last 24 hours, raising the total number tested since the first case in March to 695,087.

CS Kagwe also reported 15 more deaths, which raised the country's total number of fatalities so far to 996.

He said 1,087 patients had recovered from the disease, 1,019 of them at home and 68 at health facilities across the country, raising the number of recovered patients to 36,963.

The ministry said 1,241 patients were in hospital as of Saturday, 55 of them in intensive care units (ICU) and 11 in high dependency units (HDU).

Of those in the ICU, he said, 32 were on ventilatory support and 23 on supplemental oxygen. Forty four were on supplemental oxygen but not in ICU while 4,495 were in the home-based care programme.

Case distribution

CS Kagwe said 1,337 of the new patients were Kenyans and 58 foreigners; 879 make and 516 female, and the youngest four months old and the oldest 94.

Nairobi had the highest number of new infections - 569 - and was followed by Nakuru with 149, Kiambu with 148, Mombasa with 147, Uasin Gishu 60, Kilifi 41, Kericho 30, Laikipia 27, Machakos 26 and Kajiado 25.

Kisumu recorded 19 more cases, Meru 18, Kakamega 15, Busia 14, Bungoma 13, Samburu 12, Nyeri 11, Siaya 10, Tharaka Nithi nine, Kisii seven, and Bomet, Murang'a and Taita Taveta six each.

Home Bay and Kwale each had four new cases, Elgeyo Marakwet and Nandi three each, Embu, Baringo, Nyamira and Wajir two each, and Migori, Nyandarua, Trans Nzoia, Narok and Kirinyaga one each.