NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 28- The Ministry of Health said 255 people had tested positive for COVID-19 in the country Tuesday from a sample size of 6,305, raising the total caseload to 248,770
The country’s positivity rate stood at 4.0 percent, marking a remarkable decline as compared to a sustained increase recorded since last month.
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said 1,078 patients were admitted to various health facilities countrywide including 77 patients in the Intensive Care Unit.
The CS further announced that 7 patients succumbed to the virus one of them having occurred in the last 24 hours while six were reported late after conducting facility record audits in the month of September 2021.
This pushed cumulative fatalities to 5,116.
508 patients were discharged after recovering from the disease, raising total fatalities to 241,180.
3,664,721 people have so far been vaccinated, among them 893,670 who are fully vaccinated, the ministry said.
Kenya received the second batch of 210,600 doses of Pfizer vaccine from the United States Tuesday as the country steps up its fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
The second batch arrived in Nairobi 10 days after the country received the first consignment of 795,000 doses of the vaccine from the US on September 17 in the global campaign to fast track the vaccination of populations against the virus.
“The second donation of 210, 600 doses of Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines via COVAX facility arrives in Kenya. We are committed to leading the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic and accelerating vaccine distribution worldwide,” the US Embassy in Kenya said in a statement on Tuesday.
The new arrival is expected to boost Kenya’s vaccination efforts as the Ministry of Health targets to vaccinate at least 5.8 million people by October 20 when the country will mark the Mashujaa Day.
Kagwe said the move will bring the country closer to the full reopening of the economy as it targets to vaccinate at least 10 million people by December.
Kagwe called on Kenyans who are yet to be vaccinated to do so and become the country’s 58th Mashujaa Day heroes and heroines.
The Health CS stated that the number of people seeking to be vaccinated against COVID-19 had significantly increased and encouraged more to present themselves for the jab.
Earlier on Tuesday the government launched a 5-day mass COVID-19 vaccination exercise for inmates and prison staff at a Naivasha Prison.
The launch was conducted by Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi and his Health counterpart Kagwe who announced that prison visitations will resume once more inmates are vaccinated.
“We have more than enough doses for this purpose. The Ministry of Health has availed more than100,000 doses, and our plan is to ensure the prison population is protected, not only as a matter of government policy but also because it is a human right,” CS Matiangi said.
By the end of the 5 days, the government aims to have vaccinated 50, 000 inmates.
The exercise further targets 133 correctional facilities across the country.
