Local transmissions is accounting for 91 percent of the total case load in the country, the Chief Administrative secretary for Health, Dr. Rashid Aman (CAS) disclosed today.
The CAS noted that out of 6,070 people who had been confirmed to be positive for COVID- 19 by yesterday, 5,538 cases are local transmission with the bulk of infections being recorded in Mombasa and Nairobi City Counties.
These same counties have the highest attack rates of COVID-19, at 119.6 and 68.9 per 100,000 population respectively, when compared to 12.8 per 100,000 for the whole country, he said.
Out of the 41 counties that have reported cases Nairobi still leads with 3,031 followed by Mombasa with 1,445, Busia, 407, Kajiado 242 and Kiambu 222. Most of the remaining 36 counties have cases below 100, he added.
“These numbers, suggest that it is only a matter of time before all the counties record a COVID-19 case and we urge our people to strictly adhere to the containment measures, so as to prevent widespread infections within the counties.,” he noted.
He disclosed that the government is accelerating efforts to develop diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines for Covid-19, through research. “Kenyan scientists and public health professionals have been working to enhance the current level of knowledge about the virus,” he noted.
He highlighted that the Ministry of Health, through Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), is leading the local and international collaborative Covid-19 researches and has been scientifically tracking all affected and exposed people in the country, and developing a knowledge-base that has led to developing Covid-19 testing strategies, management protocols and pandemic containment efforts.
He also announced that 120 people have tested positive for the disease from 2,221 samples tested in the last 24 hours bringing the total case load to 6,190 from 167,417 samples so far tested.
All the cases except five are Kenyans, 84 of them are males, while 36 are females and the youngest is a six year old child, and the oldest is 83.
The cases are distributed in the counties of Nairobi 67, Mombasa 17, Kajiado nine, Machakos nine, Kiambu eight, Uasin Gishu four, Nakuru two, Kilifi, two, and Narok two.
Nairobi cases are in Westlands 12, Dagoretti North and Langata, 11 cases each, Kibra, six, Makadara and Starehe,four cases each, Kamukunji, three Embakasi Central, Embakasi East, Embakasi North, Embakasi South, Embakasi West and Mathare, have two cases each, Kasarani, Roysambu, Ruaraka, and Umoja, have one case each.
In Mombasa, the cases are in Mvita six Jomvu five, Changamwe, Kisauni and Likoni have two cases each. In Kajiado, the cases are in, Loitokitok, six, and Kajiado North three, while in Machakos, the cases are in Athi River four, Machakos Town, three and Matungulu two.
In Kiambu, the cases are in Juja three, Gatundu South, Githunguri, Kabete, Kikuyu and Limuru, have one case each. In Uasin Gishu, the cases are in, Ainabkoi two, Kapseret and Turbo, one case each. In Nakuru, the two cases are in Naivasha, while in Narok the two cases are in Narok North.
Today , the CAS also announced that the government has discharged 42 patients from various hospitals, bringing the total number of recoveries to 2,013. He however noted that one patient succumbed from the disease, bringing our fatality to 144.
The Acting Director of Public Health, Dr. Francis Kuria cautioned the public against pinpointing individuals in particular members of parliament, the clergy and the police that they might have COVID-19.
“There is need to fight stigma. What is it that is important, is it to know how many parliamentarians are positive or how many Kenyans are infected,” he stressed.
At the event the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Red Cross donated PPE kits amounting to Ksh 23.6 million (USD 223,000) to the Ministry to enhance the healthcare workers safety during provision of key services. The kits will be distributed by the Kenya Red Cross in the counties of Nairobi, Kitui, Mombasa, Kwale, Migori, Lamu, Kisumu, Busia, Kilifi, Narok, Homabay, Marsabit, Isiolo, Mandera and Wajir, as well as family Health Options Kenya.
Health Chief Administrative Secretary Dr.Rashid Aman briefing the media on update of Coronavirus in the Country and response measures at Afya House today and confirmed that 120 people tested positive making a total of 6190 cases in the country.
Health Chief Administrative Secretary Dr.Rashid Aman today at Afya House received a donation of Personal Protective Equipment from United Nations Population Fund [UNPFA] and Kenya Red Cross towards Covid-19.
