NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 2 – The Ministry of Health reported a 3.9 per cent COVID-19 positivity rate on Tuesday after 153 of the 3,922 samples screened within 24 hours tested positive for the virus raising the cumulative cases reported in the country since March 14 to 101,009.
On Monday, the country recorded a 4.7 per cent positivity rate, a rise compared to the average 2.5 percent reported in January when schools resumed in-person learning countrywide while other containment measures remained in force.
Health Cabinet secretary Mutahi Kagwe, through an emailed statement, added that there were no reported deaths within the same period with the country’s death toll remaining at 1,766.
He said 471 COVID-19 patients were admitted in various health facilities countrywide while another 1,471 were under home-based isolation and care.
Out of the 54 patients who recovered from the disease, 19 were discharged from various hospitals while another 35 were from a home-based care program.
Twelve patients reported to be in the Intensive Care Unit were on ventilatory support while another 15 patients were on supplemental oxygen.
“Another 16 patients are supplementary oxygen with 12 of them in the general wards and 4 in the High Dependency Unit,” MoH said in its daily update on the pandemic.
Nairobi accounted for 93 of the new cases reported on Tuesday while Mombasa, Kiambu, Nakuru and Turkana registered thirteen, eight, six and five cases respectively.
The government is targeting to vaccinate 16 million people by end of the year to suppress virus-related deaths with the Ministry of Health expected to procure vaccines from Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Johnson and Johnson.
Health Chief Administrative Secretary Dr. Mercy Mwangangi last week said the government hopes to start receiving the vaccines from February for the first phase to start until June.
“Given the current global shortage of adequate vaccine stocks, the government is exploring procurement through other mechanisms like the Africa CDC, and plans commitment of doses to cover an additional 5 million people over the same period to achieve a vaccination coverage of 40 per cent,” she said.
Even after President Uhuru Kenyatta extended several containment measures, including a ban on political gatherings and a night curfew that starts at 10pm to 4am until March, he is among leaders who continue to flout rules restricting large gatherings with meetings convened by the Head of State often falling short of health ministry guidelines.
Deputy William Ruto and ODM chief Raila Odinga have also heightened political activity often attracting huge crowds in roadside rallies.
