Kenya's Covid-19 cases near 27,000 as 492 more test positive

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Health officials in Kericho

What you need to know:

  • Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, in the daily briefing given from Kericho County, also announced that three more patients had died from complications related to the virus, raising the toll to 423.
  • CS Kagwe said another 534 patients had been discharged, 478 from home care and 56 from hospitals, increasing the number to 13,495.
  • Over the last few days, they have visited Kisii, Kakamega and Kisumu counties as part of a tour aimed at identifying challenges and areas requiring the government's support.

Kenya had  26,928 confirmed cases of the coronavirus as of August 10, following the recording of 492 more patients after the testing of 4,603 samples over 24 hours.

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, in the daily briefing given from Kericho County, also announced that three more patients had died from complications related to the virus, raising the toll to 423.

CS Kagwe said another 534 patients had been discharged, 478 from home care and 56 from hospitals, increasing the number to 13,495.

The number of new Kenyan patients was 478 while foreigners numbered 14. Males were 331 in number and females 161 while the youngest was 11 months old and the oldest 83.

The total number of samples tested in Kenya as of Monday rose to 358,330.

Among counties with new patients were Nairobi (357), Garissa (52), Kiambu (37), Kajiado (14), Machakos (10), Busia (five), Baringo, Embu, Murang'a and Mombasa with three each, Kilifi with two, and Isiolo, Makueni and Uasin Gishu with one each.

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Kericho update

Health ministry officials led by the minister Monday visited Kericho to assess measures taken to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

Over the last few days, they have visited Kisii, Kakamega and Kisumu counties as part of a tour aimed at identifying challenges and areas requiring the government's support.

In Kericho, the officials visited facilities at the county referral hospital. They also inspected the intensive care unit, the Walter Reed Project Laboratory and the new Ainamoi isolation facility, where the press briefing took place.

Governor Chepkwony said Kericho had set up an emergency contingency guideline and a county emergency response committee made up of national and county government officials.

He also said the county was sensitising health workers and the public, screening the public at health facilities and during travel, enhancing contract tracing and testing health workers.

He added that 126 extra medics had been recruited to care for patients.

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Kericho is a Covid-19 testing centre, working with the Walter Reed lab and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri).  It has a capacity for 8,000 tests a day, with the results released in 24 hours, but reagents are not always available, Mr Chepkwony said.

He further announced that 2,011 samples had been tested in the county, 111 of which turned out positive. Seventeen patients were in isolation wards and 46 under treatment at home as of August 10. The county chief said 20 patients had recovered and that two were found positive posthumously.

The governor also reported the availability of 308 beds for patients, with 15 beds for intensive care units, eight in public facilities and seven in private facilities.

He said six ventilators were available in the public facilities and five in the private ones, and asked the national government to provide at least 10 more for Kericho to meet the minimum requirement.